The Chinese Art of Writing

The Chinese Art of Writing - Jean Francois Billeter

In his "how-to" manual for beginners who wish to try painting in the Chinese manner, Wu--a painter in the People's Republic of China--uses his own works to illustrate his points as he guides the reader through discussions of equipment, brushstroke techniques, color, landscape, and flower and bird painting. The text instructions are a bit vague and necessarily inadequate as a substitute for actual demonstration and practice, but the many figures will be useful as models for imitation. A list of suppliers of Chinese art materials is appended. The Chinese Art of Writing is neither an instruction book nor a historical survey but rather a philosophical discourse for Westerners on the appreciation of Chinese calligraphy as an art form. Billeter's rich text is both a painstaking explanation of the practice and study of this art and a meditation on Eastern and Western aesthetics, with reference to diverse examples of art from both traditions and liberal use of illustrations and quotations. Although he does not presuppose any historical knowledge of Chinese calligraphy, Billeter writes at a level most suitable for college students, specialists, and scholars.
- Kathryn W. Finkelstein, M.Ln., Cincinnati