Vol. 40 No. 3 09/2010
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Title |
Reforming Calligraphy in Modern Japan: The Six Dynasties School and Nakamura Fusetsu's Chinese-Influenced Stele Style |
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Author |
Wong, Aida Yuen |
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Genre |
Article |
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Pages |
485-511 |
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Download |
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Language |
Chinese |
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Key words |
modern Japanese calligraphy, Sino-Japanese interchange, Nakamura Fusetsu, Six Dynasties School, Stele School, Ryūminjō |
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Abstract |
The Japanese calligrapher Nakamura Fusetsu (1866-1943) created works in an unfamiliar archaic style that was inspired by the Chinese Stele School. Emphasizing inventiveness and novelty, this style aligned calligraphy with fashionable notions of “fine art," reflecting Fusetsu's belief that, despite the gradual decoupling of calligraphy from painting in modern classifications, calligraphy should be considered a fine art. Focusing on his representative work Ryūminjō, this paper explores the theoretical and stylistic foundations of Fusetsu's calligraphy, establishes his links to Chinese calligraphers and theorists such as Kang Youwei, and places his activities within the framework of modernization. |