Yan Xishan (1883-1960), The characters Baichuan and Bochuan, a native of Wutai in Shanxi, a heavyweight figure in modern Chinese politics, and a rare representative of "soldiers and literati". He went through the imperial examinations at the end of the Qing Dynasty, the 1911 Revolution, the Beiyang Government, the national government and other eras, and ruled Shanxi for a long time with outstanding achievements. At the same time, he is also a lover of calligraphy, and his pen has its own style of literati, reflecting his humility and wisdom in governing the military and politics.
This calligraphy banner contains his famous quotes and proverbs on self-cultivation：
Wisdom is not difficult to know people, it is difficult to know oneself; benevolence is not difficult to love, it is difficult to love oneself; courage is not difficult to manage people, it is difficult to manage oneself. To cultivate wisdom, benevolence and courage, we should work hard from self-knowledge and self-love.
The full text is not only quotations and aphorisms, but also a summary of Yan Xishan's life experience in politics. The strokes not only contain the beauty of calligraphy, but also hide his deep thinking about self-cultivation and virtue.
Pen intent and style of writing: thick and vigorous, see depth in peace
Yan Xishan's calligraphy is dignified and neat, with the courage of a soldier and the grace of a literati. Between the strokes, the Tibetan front and the front are all natural, neither overly carved nor out of order. The words of this banner are clear, the lines are well-proportioned and smooth, and the layout of the chapters is strict. It not only shows the artistic appeal of calligraphy, but also resembles his usual style of governance-steady and down-to-earth.
Between the lines, it is just like his calm and low-key attitude of seeking truth from facts in his life, showing the contradictory unity of both warlords and literati. In particular, the phrase "self-knowledge and self-love", with its freely retracted brushstrokes, seems to be conveying the proverbs of self-cultivation, introspection and self-discipline.
Self-cultivation: Reading Yan Xishan's wisdom from aphorisms
The whole sentence is divided into three layers of comparative structure: "Zhiren vs. Self-knowledge", "Lover vs. Self-love", "Management vs. Self-management", rigorous sentence style, rich semantics. The traditional three virtues of Zhirenyong have always been a compulsory way for gentlemen; Yan Xishan further proposed: "If there is no self-knowledge and self-love, Zhirenyong is just an empty talk to the outside world. "This insight is lofty, and it also points to the core of self-cultivation-introspection and self-discipline.
In many public speeches, he has emphasized that "to be a man, you must have self-knowledge in order to judge the situation"; "Self-love and self-discipline, you can treat others leniently, and just take the imperial service." This calligraphy is precisely the concentrated embodiment of his thoughts, showing his deep thinking about the righteousness of his country, and also making people read the power of personality cultivation.
Calligraphy and Personality: Yan Xishan's Confucian Style
As the head of the "Jin" warlord, Yan Xishan has ruled Shanxi for nearly 40 years, but he has never been violent. On the contrary, he pays attention to the style of scholars, attaches importance to education, and has a more elegant style of getting along with the people. He has been influenced by Confucian classics since he was a child, was born in the imperial examination, and believed in "Yuwu with literature". This kind of bookishness and calligraphy cultivation are full of gentle power in his writing.
Especially in his later years, Yan Xishan paid more attention to self-cultivation and introspection. This banner is also considered to be a masterpiece of his "ten years of seclusion and ten years of writings" period. It has free pen and ink and peaceful charm. Whether it is given to his disciples or hung in the study room, it reveals the attitude of "vipassana introspection" in life.
Art and Collectible Value: the Imprint of the bookish Era
In the world of painting and calligraphy collection, Yan Xishan's calligraphy works have attracted a lot of attention in recent years because of their small amount of surviving generations and their thick and dignified style. Especially the banners with their self-cultivation and introspection nature have far-reaching value and cultural significance of the times. As a witness to modern history, his calligraphy is not only the art of pen and ink, but also the epitome of thought and times, giving people a glimpse into the spiritual world of this military and political giant.
Dehuatang sincerely invitesIf you have a collectionYan Xishan's Calligraphy Works, or other famous calligraphy and painting, calligraphy, calligraphy and calligraphy and letters, welcome to contact us! Dehuatang has long been committed toHigh-priced acquisition of famous ancient and modern Chinese calligraphy and painting, calligraphy, and letters from celebrities, We cherish your historical treasures with professional appraisal and fair quotation.
