As an imperial graduate, Huang Tingjian also served in the government and involved himself in various political activities. His most important achievements lay in poetry, and he attached great importance to reading and check the source of material. As he once said, "Every character has its origin."
He was the initiator of the Jiangxi school of poetry, which had significant influence on later Practitioners. Though best known for his achievements in poetry, he was also a great calligrapher, highly skilled inxingshuandcaoshu.
Huang first studied calligraphy under Zhou Yue, and later learned much from the calligraphic works of Yan Zhenqing, Yang Ningshi and Zhang Xu. He developed his own style -- robust, open and vigorous.
His most acclaimed handwritings have survived the challenge of time, and include Pine WindPavilion, Fragrance of Flower, and so on.
Mi Fu
Mi Fu, also named Mi Yuanzhang, was born in Taiyuang ofShanxi Provinceand later took residence inZhenjiangofJiangsu Province. Due to his eccentric disposition and crazy behavior, he was given the name of Mi Dian (Crazy Mi). For example, he would adore every stone he came upon, calling it brother. Boasting proficiency in poetry, painting, calligraphy, collection and authentication, Mi Fu was given the title of a poet, painter, calligrapher, collector and connoisseur.
Among his various titles, Mi was best known as a calligrapher for his hard work and great achievements. As a small boy, he studiedkaishucalligraphy of theTang Dynastyvery hard by imitating the works of Yan Zhenqing, Liu Gongquan and so on, laying a solid foundation for his later breakthroughs. When Su Shi was demoted to Huang Zhou, Mi went to visit him for instruction. Su encouraged him to learn from calligraphic works of the Jin Dynasty. From then on, he set his heart on the Jin calligraphy and accomplished a lot. The Zhong Qiu Tie by Wang Xianzhi extant today was said to be an imitation of his, much like the original version in both appearance and spirit. Claiming his calligraphy was a collection and ancient characters, Mi had deep understanding of handwriting and the art of composition as well as the flavor and tone of the ancient masters' calligraphic works. Different from the other three calligraphers, Mi did not involve himself into the political arena and led a relatively peaceful life.
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