A Study of Stages of ZHANG Da-qian’s Calligraphy

The development of ZHANG Daq-qian’s calligraphy can be divided into four stages. In his adolescence, his writing was characterized by the typical copying. After he became a pupil of two masters in Shanghai, his calligraphy was influenced by ZENG Xi and LI Rui-qing as well as HE Shao-ji and some painters as Bada, SHI Tao and JIN Nong. His calligraphy of this period had the typical features of stone inscriptions. From the late 1930s to 1940s, his calligraphy had notable change: the unique Da-qian style came into being and tended to be mature. Such style of calligraphy was the innovative result of combination on basis of his learning from his family and teachers, inscriptions on ancient bronze objects and on stones of Wei period. The ideal Da-qian style combining vigor and suppleness appeared after 1950s. After his painstaking research in India and traveling to Europe and South America, his horizon became much wider and his calligraphy got to its summit.