【Calligraphers of the Three Kingdoms】Cao Cao – The bold calligraphy of a hero in troubled times
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This post was last edited by Desert Fish on 2017-7-8 at 19:59. Cao Cao during the Three Kingdoms period was an outstanding statesman, thinker, and writer, and he also achieved remarkable success in the art of calligraphy. “The characters “Gun Xue” were inscribed in the 20th year of the Jian’an era (215 AD), when Cao Cao was on a campaign against Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. As he passed through Shimen, a strategic passage along the mountain paths (located in present-day Baocheng, Shaanxi), he observed the scenery in the river and had these characters carved on the rocks in the river. “The term “Gun Xue” depicts the turbulent flow of the river water; as the water hits the rocks, splashes fly in all directions. With such heavy water flow and numerous rocks, it resembles rolling waves of snow, which is why it is called “Gun (rolling) Snow”.
Cao Cao was not only an outstanding statesman, strategist, and writer during the Three Kingdoms period, but also a calligrapher with a high level of cultural expertise; however, very few of his works have survived to this day, which is why he is little known. Those who have seen Cao Cao’s calligraphy works throughout history have all praised them as having the appearance of \"golden flowers gently falling, creating a scene of exquisite beauty everywhere\" ； Jing and Yu shine together, as bright as precious gems. ”The brushwork is powerful and magnificent; it’s truly outstanding. ”Such great beauty. Although Cao Cao was skilled in calligraphy, he probably did not have the opportunity to write due to his busy schedule with military and political affairs; as a result, few of his written works have survived to this day. The only existing original handwritten work by Cao Cao is currently the \"Gunxue,\" which is kept in the Hanzhong City Museum. Later generations have given high praise to this work: these two characters are somewhat similar to seal script but not exactly; they also do not conform to the style of official script. The brushstrokes are bold and unrestrained, conveying a sense of turbulent waves, and thus reflecting Cao Cao’s charm and the spirit of Wei Wu. “The character “Gun” resembles a rapid stream of water, conveying a masculine energy that is bold, unrestrained, lively, turbulent, vigorous, and dynamic. “The character for “snow” conveys qualities of calmness, subtlety, restraint, serenity, simplicity, and lightness; it is also full of tenderness. These elements combine to create a balance between strength and softness, offering masculinity without losing its gentle side. During the Qing dynasty, Luo Xiushu commented on the character “Gunxue”: “Seeing his handwriting like this is like seeing him in person.”