Zhao Zhiqian (1829~1884), courtesy name Yifu, nicknamed Tiesan, Lengjun, etc., was a native of Kuaiji (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang). Not only was he an all-round art master of calligraphy, painting, and sealing, but he was also skilled in calligraphy. His achievements in calligraphy in the Northern Wei Dynasty were the most eye-catching and had a profound impact on later generations. He first learned calligraphy from Yan Zhenqing, and later received theoretical guidance from Bao Shichen, so he converted to stele studies and devoted a lot of effort to the sculptures of the Northern Wei and Six Dynasties. In this way, his calligraphy changed from flat and wide-knotted Yan characters to the Northern Wei calligraphy style of oblique and tight-knotted calligraphy. It was fresh, vigorous and unconventional, and stood tall among other calligraphers. Zhao Zhiqian's seal cutting is not so graceful, melancholy and brilliant, but presents a fresh, elegant and expressive style. In terms of the pursuit of the effect of using ink, it is not only reflected in the smoothness and variety of the pen, but also in the contrast between the tones and dots and lines naturally formed by the natural peeling and joining of the parallel pens.
Zhao Zhiqian’s study of Beibei focused on understanding the meaning of his writing rather than insisting on the effect of knife marks, so he wrote in a smooth and tactful way, which can turn hardness into softness. Its characteristics are "Yan Di Wei Mian" and "Wei Qi Yan San", the writing is square with circles in the middle, and the characters are steep and steep. Compared with the Beibei stele, it lacks the ancient and clumsy style and seems to have the disadvantage of being light and slippery. Therefore, Kang Youwei believed: "Uncle Lao studied Beibei and started his own family, but his spirit was weak. Today, if people talk about Beibei too much, and all the words are simplistic, it is the crime of pretending to be an uncle." In fact, such an evaluation is not To be fair, using a brush to write on paper will eventually be different from using a knife and hammer to chisel on a stone wall. Different tools and materials will result in different aesthetics of lines. The important thing is to fully realize the inherent characteristics of the lines used. The functional characteristics of tools and materials should be used to maximize their strengths and avoid their weaknesses. If you insist on using a brush to imitate the effect of stone carvings and exploit weaknesses and avoid strengths, although you can achieve surprise, it will not promote it better. Zhao Zhiqian's Northern Wei calligraphy embodies the characteristics of brush writing and is accepted by a wider range of scholars.
Zhao Zhiqian’s seal script and official script are famous all over the world. His seal script and calligraphy were influenced by Deng Shiru, but he had a different artistic style from Deng Shiru. His brushwork had a strong personality. His seal calligraphy and calligraphy strokes were drawn outside the brush strokes, and his horizontal drawings usually went straight down, while his vertical drawings took the momentum to the left. The seal script is mixed with the style of Northern Wei calligraphy, and does not pursue reverse strokes, so it appears relaxed and lively. He does not pursue the thick and heavy style of naughty writing, and the style is established accordingly. His writings are based on the steles of "Liu Xiong", "Fenglong Mountain", "Wu Rong" and "Sangong Mountain". His books are more black than white, with a mixture of virtual and real. , with its own rhythm. Zhao Zhiqian's style of writing is also unique. "The grass is noble and flows smoothly." When writing in cursive script using the style of the Northern Wei Dynasty, it is easy to write in a dull and artificial way. However, the pseudo-uncle's cursive writing can avoid these shortcomings. It is really a hand that transforms opportunities and is amazing. He Shaoji's calligraphy is "Wei Sanyan Qi", while Zhao Zhiqian's calligraphy is "Wei Qiyan San". Zhao Zhiqian's calligraphy is easier to see the clues of the word "face" than in the Northern Wei Dynasty books.