He is one of the most outstanding "non-professional calligraphers" in modern times, and a manuscript sells for 12,075,000 yuan

In 1913, a teenager applied for the first class of the Peking University Preparatory Course. He played well and went home full of joy to wait for the good news. He didn't expect to have his own name when the list was released. He was extremely disappointed!

Afterwards, the boy who had been regretful for being out of the list unexpectedly received an admission notice from Peking University. The interesting thing was that the notice was written with three words Shen Deming, which was different from his own name.

When he checked in at the time of registration, the teenager found that when he was filling out the registration form, he scribbled the word "Hong" like a "Ming".  Written here, I believe book friends know who he is?  A generation of literature and calligraphy masters - Mao Dun, formerly known as Shen Dehong.

▲ Part of the manuscript of Mao Dun that was sold for 12.075 million yuan

It was the matter of applying for Peking University at that time that made Mao Dun and calligraphy indissoluble.

▲ Mao Dun's letter to Ba Jin

This incident touched him a lot. Like a popular joke on the Internet, it was clearly the name of "Chu Zhongtian", but it was pronounced "Lin Danda"!  This matter is put on ordinary people, and it is regarded as a normal thing with no danger.

▲ Inscription of the First National Exhibition

But when he came to the strong Mao Dun, he felt that it was an opportunity to correct his attitude towards calligraphy. Since then, he has written stroke by stroke, upright, never sloppy, until he was in his 80s, writing memoirs, and using a writing brush in block letters.  Handwriting is clear and handsome.

▲ Mao Dun's running script Xijiangyue

▲ Mao Dun's calligraphy works

Mao Dun never considered himself a calligrapher, just like Mr. Lu Weizhao of the Stele School, when he was most famous, he repeatedly commented on himself regretfully: "I never imagined that I would end up as a calligrapher and painter in the end."

Not only Lu Weizhao, but also Zhu Xi and Ma Yifu, saying that he is a calligrapher will make them angry.  In fact, there was never a professional calligrapher in ancient China, and calligraphy and literature were two 

carriages in parallel.  Just like Lu Weizhao said, if you want me to be a calligrapher from the beginning, this will be very small, and it will not flow!

▲ Mao Dun's calligraphy works

Mao Dun's writing is for practical use, not as artistic creation.  Talking about his calligraphy, he once said, "It's not very good. Thin gold has seen it, but I haven't learned it. When I was young, I visited Dong Meiren's monument, and then wrote it randomly."

▲ Contradictions in old age

As the first Minister of Culture of New China, Mao Dun was 75 years old in 1970 during the ten years of turmoil.  .  Mao Dun personally went into battle, compiled his own textbooks, taught and wrote to teach his grandchildren to write.    

It is truly amazing that Mao Dun can still write such a grand textbook in his old age with a writing brush in hand!  This "underground education" insisted on by Mao Dun is an act of maintaining the lifeblood of Chinese culture.

The reason why he attaches so much importance to cultural education and the inheritance of calligraphy is that Mao Dun is a magnificent way to learn calligraphy.    

When studying at Peking University, he was directly influenced by Shen Yinmo, Shen Jianshi and others. His calligraphy made a lot of efforts in the temporary study of Yan Liu's regular script, and he also learned a lot from the cursive script in the history of calligraphy.

▲ Annotated handwriting of ancient poems in Xingkai

After the reform and development, Mao Dun began to exchange letters with many old friends. Many of his friends also asked Mao Dun for "calligraphy treasures". Mao Dun always responded to his needs.  , more and more people are asking for words.    

Among them, there were many requests to inscribe the titles of publications, books, schools, and couplets for places of interest and historical sites, and later even reached the point of countless debts.

Mao Dun's literary writing is so conscious that even if he has no intention of becoming a calligrapher, he has become a famous writer in practice.  This is very similar to Lu Xun's experience.    

As the so-called "Inadvertently inserted willows and willows form a shade, intentional calligraphy is like a sea of ​​ink."    

Mao Dun successfully combined literary writing with calligraphic writing, and both will be "immortalized in ink".

▲ Mao Dun's calligraphy works

At the same time, his unutilitarian love for calligraphy and his prudent attitude in rejecting the name of a calligrapher are also worthy of our contemporary calligraphy circles to reflect and learn from!

▲ Mao Dun's calligraphy works

Nowadays, many calligraphers and painters feel that they are amazing, which is completely contrary to the lofty pursuit of "unexpected to end up as a calligrapher and painter"!  

The literati calligraphy and painting masters of all dynasties used to take the world as their own responsibility.    Like Xu Wei would also say that he ended up being a calligrapher and painter. He wrote 

poems like "there is nowhere to sell the pearl at the bottom of the pen, and it is idle and thrown into the wild vines".  In fact, Chinese calligraphy and painting are mainly based on the sentiments of scholars as the greatest moving point.

▲ Mao Dun's calligraphy works

Chinese calligraphy itself is not a single pure art, it is comprehensive and needs context.    Current calligraphers, such as the pursuit of visual effects, the pursuit of shock, calligraphy live demonstrations are like performing acrobatics, but for bluffing.

▲ Mao Dun's calligraphy works

The style of literati calligraphy represented by Mao Dun is the lofty pursuit of family and country feelings and governance of the country and the world. They value the continuation and development of the context the most.    

There are many masters who call themselves calligraphers today, but they have no achievements in other fields.  The written words are incomprehensible and unacceptable to the common people.  

In the face of criticism, in the name of "innovation", create a bunch of new terms that no one understands to bluff people, and expand your contacts to increase your personal influence!

▲ Mao Dun's running script Xijiangyue

Compared with the vulgar pursuit of these "professional calligraphers" who put the cart before the horse, the literati calligraphers represented by Mao Dun, with their unique charm and pure starting point, bring us infinite thinking!

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