致力于传播中国传统文化1

Chinese Calligraphy Captivates the West

西方人钟情于中国书法的魅力

Regarded by the Chinese as the highest expression of all art forms, calligraphy has been flourishing and evolving in China for over 3,000 years.

The extraordinary variety of calligraphic techniques, styles and compositions that have been created by Chinese artists is without parallel in the world.

Celebrating the remarkable achievements of the many artists who have put brush to paper over the centuries, a grand exhibition entitled "The Most Expressive Art: Cursive Script in the Ming-Qing Period (1368-1911)" specifically examines one time period and the progression of one calligraphic technique.

Organized by the world famous Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Boston, the exhibition, which runs from December 13 through June 22, 2003, showcases some masterpieces in the history of Chinese calligraphy -- many of which have never before been displayed in a museum setting. The compelling works on view -- both hand and hanging scrolls -- are elegantly displayed in the MFA's Chinese Paintings Galleries.

The exhibition was curated by Yiguo Zhang, research fellow in the museum's Department of Art of Asia, Oceania and Africa. Zhang, 42, a native of Tianjin in North China and a former graduate from the Tianjin-based Nankai University, received his doctorate in art history from Columbia University in New York and is a highly active scholar of Chinese calligraphy in the United States.

In an exclusive interview with China Daily, Zhang discussed the ideas behind the exhibition and issues such as how Western audiences can better understand Chinese calligraphy, which is seen as the core of Chinese culture by some scholars. The text of the interview follows: Q: Mr. Zhang, why did you organize such a show? What do you think makes this exhibition unique?

A: The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is one of the world's pre-eminent museums. It has a rich collection of early Chinese art.

Calligraphy, which has flourished in China for over 3,000 years, is regarded by the Chinese as a high art form.

Among the five scripts of art of writing, cursive script (caoshu) is the most expressive art and reached a peak in its development during the Ming-Qing period.

Unfortunately, no museum in the United States has ever mounted a scholarly exhibition devoted entirely to Ming-Qing cursive script.

So we at the Museum of Fine Arts decided to organize an exhibition celebrating the remarkable achievements of many great artists over the centuries.

Q: Where are the exhibits from and how many are there? Would you please give a brief introduction to the works, say, how representative are they?

A: The 24 masterpieces on view in the exhibit have been drawn from the MFA's renowned collection of Asian art, as well as loaned from private collections including the H. Christopher Luce Collection.