The Lesser Chuan and Li styles

Dear friends,

The third period in the development of Chinese brushwork is the Ripening Period.

The ripening of brushwork manifested itself at the end of the Chou dynasty -- in the Ch'in era, beginning in 221 B.C. -- when the Lesser Chuan and Li styles had developed.

Lesser Chuan: Seal style

In 221 B.C., the Ch'in Shih-Huang-Ti unified China and became its first emperor. Although he wrought havoc by his burning of the classics to obliterate the past and erase the influence of the scholars, he made lasting contributions -- a uniform style of measurement and, more importantly, a standardized written language.

His prime minister, Li Ssu, regulated and unified the written language known as Lesser Chuan (see Fig. 21).

Figure 22 is a print from Ch'in bronze vessel, an oval standard measuring utensil. The writing is Lesser Chuan, whose chief characteristic is an oblong, slim, curvilinear structure, highly decorative. Although the brushwork is outstanding, it lacks free expression.

Since the calligrapher had to be painstaking in the execution of this highly artificial style, Lesser Chuan did not last very long, and was soon replaced by the Li style. However, Lesser Chuan became popular as a style for seal engraving, and is used even today for this purpose.

The beauty and unique contribution of Lesser Chuan lie in its exquisite central brush strokes. This is the most important technique for an artist to master, for it is these strokes which carry the strength and vigor of a linear shape. Since Lesser Chuan lines are slim and long, the spirit and quality of the lines can be clearly seen.

The Li style

The reason Li developed was that Lesser Chuan, so formal and so difficult to write, was not suitable for daily use. The big advantage of the Li style is the speed of its execution.

First used by the common people, it soon became popular for everyone. Unlike the rectangular, vertical shape of the Lesser Chuan style, the Li style is horizontal (see Fig. 23-25).

With the Li style, full-fledged brushwork had arrived. There are round, square, and wedged shapes, triangular and hooked strokes, the first evidence of the use of folding or rolling side brush.

The side of the brush is being used from the very tip of the heel; a wide range of pressures is used, which causes changes in the rhythm of a stroke; the turning of the brush in completing a stroke gives a continuous flow to that line and contributes to the harmonious movement within the composition. The use of this technique injects liveliness into the brushwork.

When the "civil examination system" was established during the Han dynasty, good penmanship became a prerequisite; this and the fact that it was part of one of the six arts taught at the Confucius school, greatly stimulated the art of calligraphy. Some good examples are shown in Figure 23.

In the first half of the Han period, the Li style was commonly used. The popular Ba Fen form of the Li style gained wider acceptance (Fig. 24).

This style is marked by the strokes stretching to the sides, both to the left and right, known as "Number 8" strokes. It is indeed a very sophisticated and beautiful style.

Among all the fine examples of Li style in existence, the Ritual Vessels Tablet (Fig. 25) is considered the best. As one examines this piece, written on stone, one is struck by its excellence. It possesses all the qualities a fine piece of calligraphy should have. The lines are strong but not stiff. Each character, skillfully constructed, is self-contained, yet its structure contributes to the total harmony.

There is subtle variation in the components of the characters, particularly in the shapes, which are identical in form; thus, the symmetry is not rigid, creating a sense of movement. Some strokes are tilted but remain in perfect balance.

The expression of the brushwork looks extremely free; however, complete order is maintained. There is no crowding, either in the structure of the characters or in their position within the column. They seem "comfortable" and "loose" in their niches.

Despite this airy feeling, the composition is tight, with an excellent horizontal and vertical order, yet an order which is not mechanically rigid.

With the accomplishment of this piece, it is safe to say that the art of brushwork had been firmly established. Also, calligraphy as an art had reached a high plateau.

As the Li style spread throughout the Han empire for a period of 400 years, both Greater and Lesser Chuan receded. Li is beautiful in form, yet easy to write. It became the most influential style in Chinese calligraphy.

-- Kwo Da-Wei