Le Sitishu shi de Wei Heng (252-291) - Première traité chinois de calligraphie - article ; n°1 ; vol.9, pg 99-129

André Kneib

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Cahiers d'Extrême-Asie - Année 1996 - Volume 9 - Numéro 1 - Pages 99-129
Wei Heng (252-291), the author of the first compilation of Chinese texts on the art of calligraphy, the Sitishu shi, The Art of the Four Styles of Calligraphy, was himself part of an important family in calligraphic history and in the Chinese aristocracy under the Western Jin dynasty. His father, Wei Guan, who was a famous calligrapher working closely with the imperial court, was the witness of important archaeological finds in the field of calligraphy that inspired his son to write this essay on the beauty (shi) of Chinese scripts as viewed by himself and his contemporaries. One generation later, a niece of Wei Heng, named Wei Shuo (272-349), also called Wei Furen, Lady Wei, was to become the calligraphy teacher of the most renowned artist in the field in the whole of Chinese history: Wang Xizhi (321-379 or 307-365).
As is suggested by the title of the text which is partially translated in this article (a full translation of the first chapter concerning ancient scripts guwen, is given here; the other three chapters are summarized and analyzed), it deals with four styles of writing and calligraphy: ancient scripts (guwen), seal scripts (zhuanshu), clerical script (lishu), and cursive script (caoshu). Each of the four chapters of the text is itself divided into two main sections; the first section is devoted to the historical background of the style and is followed by a critical commentary, a descriptive eulogy written in a colorful poetic language to describe its beauty.
This article is an attempt to present the cultural and historical environment of Wei Heng and his circles and to explain why such a text which made its way into the official dynastic history (it can be found in the Jinshu, within the biography of the author's father) can be considered as a valuable foundation for all the calligraphy treatises that were written afterwards. I believe that with this organized presentation and description of the scripts, this text was also a major support and encouragement for the practice of the cursive cao which had been previously severely attacked by what is considered the earliest text on calligraphy, the famous Feicaoshu, Against the Cursive Script, by Zhao Yi of the latter Han dynasty.
31 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.

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• Publié par: CAHIERS_D-EXTREME-ASIE
• Publié le: 01 janvier 1996
• Nombre de lectures: 61
• Langue: Français
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

André Kneib
Le Sitishu shi de Wei Heng (252-291) - Première traité chinois
de calligraphie
In: Cahiers d'Extrême-Asie, Vol. 9, 1996. pp. 99-129.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Kneib André. Le Sitishu shi de Wei Heng (252-291) - Première traité chinois de calligraphie. In: Cahiers d'Extrême-Asie, Vol. 9,
1996. pp. 99-129.
doi : 10.3406/asie.1996.1113
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/asie_0766-1177_1996_num_9_1_1113Abstract
Wei Heng (252-291), the author of the first compilation of Chinese texts on the art of calligraphy, the
Sitishu shi, The Art of the Four Styles of Calligraphy, was himself part of an important family in
calligraphic history and in the Chinese aristocracy under the Western Jin dynasty. His father, Wei Guan,
who was a famous calligrapher working closely with the imperial court, was the witness of important
archaeological finds in the field of calligraphy that inspired his son to write this essay on the "beauty"
(shi) of Chinese scripts as viewed by himself and his contemporaries. One generation later, a niece of
Wei Heng, named Wei Shuo (272-349), also called Wei Furen, Lady Wei, was to become the
calligraphy teacher of the most renowned artist in the field in the whole of Chinese history: Wang Xizhi
(321-379 or 307-365).
As is suggested by the title of the text which is partially translated in this article (a full translation of the
first chapter concerning ancient scripts guwen, is given here; the other three chapters are summarized
and analyzed), it deals with four styles of writing and calligraphy: ancient scripts (guwen), seal scripts
(zhuanshu), clerical script (lishu), and cursive script (caoshu). Each of the four "chapters" of the text is
itself divided into two main sections; the first section is devoted to the historical background of the style
and is followed by a critical commentary, a descriptive eulogy written in a colorful poetic language to
describe its "beauty".
This article is an attempt to present the cultural and historical environment of Wei Heng and his circles
and to explain why such a text which made its way into the official dynastic history (it can be found in the
Jinshu, within the biography of the author's father) can be considered as a valuable foundation for all the
calligraphy treatises that were written afterwards. I believe that with this organized presentation and
description of the scripts, this text was also a major support and encouragement for the practice of the
cursive cao which had been previously severely attacked by what is considered the earliest text on
calligraphy, the famous Feicaoshu, Against the Cursive Script, by Zhao Yi of the latter Han dynasty.SITISHUSHI \BwMm- DE WEI HENG il (252-291) LE
- PREMIER TRAITE CHINOIS DE CALLIGRAPHIE -
André Kneib
Wei Heng (252-2910), the author of the first compilation of Chinese
texts on the art of calligraphy, the Sitishu shi, The Art of the Four Styles
of Calligraphy, was himself part of an important family in calligraphic
history and in the Chinese aristocracy under the Western Jin dynasty.
His father, Wei Guan, who was a famous calligrapher working closely
with the imperial court, was the witness of important archaeological
finds in the field of calligraphy that inspired his son to write this essay
" on the "beauty Chinese scripts as viewed by himself and his (shi) of
contemporaries. One generation later, a niece of Wei Heng, named Wei
Shuo (272-349), also called Wei Furen, Lady Wei, was to become the
calligraphy teacher of the most renowned artist in the field in the whole
of Chinese history: WangXizhi (321-379 or 307-365).
As is suggested by the title of the text which is partially translated
in this article (a full translation of the first chapter concerning
ancient scripts guwen, is given here; the other three chapters are
summarized and analyzed), it deals with four styles of writing and
calligraphy: ancient scripts (guwen), seal scripts (zhuanshu), clerical
script (lishu), and cursive script (caoshu). Each of the four "chapters" of the text is itself divided into two main sections; the first
section is devoted to the historical background of the style and is
followed by a critical commentary, a descriptive eulogy written in a
colorful poetic language to describe its "beauty".
This article is an attempt to present the cultural and historical
environment of Wei Heng and his circles and to explain why such a
text which made its way into the official dynastic history (it can be
found in the Jinshu, within the biography of the author s father) can
be considered as a valuable foundation for all the calligraphy
treatises that were written afterwards. I believe that with this
organized presentation and description of the scripts, this text was
also a major support and encouragement for the practice of the
cursive cao which had been previously severely attacked by what is
considered the earliest text on calligraphy, the famous Feicaoshu,
Against the Cursive Script, by Zhao Yi of the latter Han dynasty.
Si l'on s'en tient à la chronologie traditionnelle, un certain Zhao Yi $lê (?-?),
surnom Yuanshu jt$L, originaire de Hanyang ?HPif (Gansu), administrateur
comptable et lettré de la dynastie des Han Postérieurs (25-220), est le premier
auteur chinois à rédiger un texte discutant exclusivement de calligraphie. Son A bas
Cahiers d'Extrême- Asie 9 (1996-1997) : 99-129. 1
100 André Kneib
la calligraphie cursive!, Fei caoshu ^^H, dans lequel il reproche à ses
contemporains de "s'adonner jour et nuit jusqu'à s'en user les ongles des doigts et
s'en ensanglanter les mains, à la pratique de la cursive rapide", caoshu ^#, qu'il
qualifie de "non-conforme", est resté une diatribe célèbre1 qui occupe souvent la
première place dans la plupart des collections qui tentent de rassembler l'essentiel
de ce que l'on appelle les "traités de calligraphie"2 du corpus chinois.
Ces traités ont fait l'objet de plusieurs compilations récapitulatives à travers les
âges. Les plus connues d'entre elles sont le Fashuyaolu fëllllil de Zhang
Yanyuan §ê/#ia (ca. 815- après 875) sous les Tang, le Mochipian WâlM de Zhu
Changwen (1039-1098) et le Shuyuan qinghua #^aW^ de Chen Si Bft,& (actif
1225-1264) sous les Song, ou encore le très monumental Peiwenzhai shuhua pu fH
JCÎ^WMM sous la direction de Wang Yuanqi 3LWM (1641-1715) des Qing.
fënm^CM3 A l'heure en actuelle chinois deux et le ouvrages Chûgoku font shown autorité: taikei le tpM^tmi^rfc Lidai shufa lunwenxuan en japonais.4 MitWt Les
quatre premiers auteurs retenus par l'équipe chinoise sont Zhao Yi, Cai Yong
On en trouvera une traduction annotée et commentée dans Acker, William R. B., Some
T'ang and Pre-T'ang Texts on Chinese Painting, Leiden: Brill, 1954; Westport, Conn.:
Hyperion reprint, 1974, p. LIII sq.
Les traductions de traités de calligraphie en langues occidentales sont peu nombreuses;
on pourra consulter :
- Simonet, Jean-Marie, "La suite au traité de calligraphie de Jiang Kui (1155-1221)", Paris:
Ecole Nationale des Langues Orientales Vivantes, 1969 (thèse).
- Goepper, Roger, Shu-p'u : der Traktat zur Schriftkunst des Sun Kuo-T'ing [ca. 648-687 à
702], Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner, 1974, 512 p.
- Chang Ch'ung-Ho and Frankel, Hans, Two Chinese Treatises on Calligraphy; Treatise on
Calligraphy (Shu pu) by Sun Qianli [ca. 648-687 à 702] and Sequel to the "Treatise on
Calligraphy" Kui [1155-1221], New Haven & London: Yale University Press, by Jiang
1995, 143 p.
Cf. aussi : Kneib, André, Western Writings on Calligraphy, Eastern Aesthetics and Modern
Arts, Conference Treatise, Taipei: Taipei Fine Art Museum, 1992.
Le Zhongguo shufa dacidian t¥WÈfàJïffî H, Hong-Kong: Shupu Chubanshe HfitfjJKtt,
1984, 2 vol., donne dans son vol. xia, pp. 1927-2029, une présentation exhaustive et un bref
résumé du contenu de l'ensemble des textes chinois relatifs à la calligraphie, des origines à
l'époque actuelle.
Lidai shufa lunwen xuan (ci-après LSLX), Huang Jian Jtffi éd., Shanghai: Shanghai
Shuhua Chubanshe _h?$#ïtBIISIi, 1980, 2 vol. L'ouvrage édité par l'équipe de la revue
Shufa trS donne 95 textes ponctués attribués à 69 auteurs, pour lesquels les éditeurs
proposent une courte biographie, allant de Zhao Yi des Han à Kang Youwei des Qing.
4 Chûgoku shoron taikei, Nakata Yùjirô ^HH^BIS éd.,Tôkyô: Nigensha Utt, 1977-,
18 vol. Les 18 volumes sont une présentation chronologique (des Han à l'époque
contemporaine) de l'essentiel du corpus chinois traitant de calligraphie. Chaque volume
présente une introduction générale à chaque texte chinois qui est cité intégralement dans sa
version originale annotée, suivie d'une transcription kambun et d'une traduction en japonais.
Un bref exp