An Aesthetic Analysis of the Calligraphy on Epitaphs and Stelae from Daming in the Ming Dynasty

Abstract

The Daming region boasts a large number of epitaphs and stelae, yet their calligraphic artistic value has often been overshadowed by their historical significance. Drawing upon the fundamental theories of Chinese calligraphy history and calligraphic aesthetics, this paper conducts an artistic appreciation of the calligraphy on Daming epitaphs and stelae from the perspectives of character structure and composition. It further explores their tiexue (model-calligraphy school) characteristics of learning from, utilizing, and reviving ancient models, as well as their emergence as a result of the popularization and development of the Taige style and Zhongshu style. This reflects the aesthetic tendency in Ming Dynasty calligraphy of taking formal elegance as beauty. At the same time, from the perspective of cultural geography, this paper discusses how the calligraphy on Daming epitaphs represents a calligraphic form that points to "Yanzhao aesthetics" ,a regional cultural aesthetic.