An Examination of the Theoretical Basis for “Calligraphy is an Art”

Focusing on the Discourses of Zhang Yinlin and Zong Baihua

Abstract

  Since ancient times, calligraphy has had many different roles in China, making it a very complex cultural phenomenon. In the early 20th century, the Western word “art” was translated in Japan as “bizyutsu” (art), and later, “art” was introduced to China. During this period, the proposition that “calligraphy is an art” emerged in China, and many scholars later proposed such in their respective works. People today already regard calligraphy as an art. To begin with, how can calligraphy be placed in the category of Western art when it is a traditional Chinese culture, and what is the theoretical basis for placing it in the category of art? This paper takes the emergence of the proposition that “calligraphy is an art” in China from the early to mid-20th century as a starting point and examines the theoretical basis for why calligraphy is an art, focusing on the discourses of the scholars who presented this proposition, especially Zhang Yinlin and Zong Baihua. Zhang Yinlin's theory was based on the emotionalism that was popular in the West in the early 20th century. Zong Baihua used classical Chinese philosophical thought to make his point based on the hieroglyphics of Chinese characters and the tools they use. However, neither has solved the question of why calligraphy is an art. From a traditional perspective, Chinese calligraphy has multifaceted cultural values. The perception that “calligraphy is an art” since the modern era focuses only on the characteristics of the external form of calligraphy and defines the essence of calligraphy from Western literary theory. Although calligraphy has made significant progress in terms of art form under the criteria of art, from an overall perspective, the essence of calligraphy is not a singular entity, and calligraphy is not equal to the art of writing. To judge the essence of calligraphy as art simply by focusing on the external form would be a one-sided view of calligraphy.