Mi Fei

Chinese calligrapher

• Born: 1052
• Birthplace: Xiangyang, Hubei Province, China
• Died: 1107
• Place of death: Huaiyang, Jiangsu Province, China

An accomplished calligrapher and the paragon of Chinese artist-connoisseurs, Mi Fei played a pivotal role in the transmission of the classical tradition of Chinese calligraphy.

Early Life

Mi Fei (mee fay) did not come from a distinguished family tradition, but he was reared on the palace grounds, as his mother served as a palace lady of the empress and wife of Emperor Yingzong (Ying-tsung; r. 1064-1067).

Together with Su Dongpo (Su Tung-p’o; 1036-1101), Huang Tingqian (Huang T’ing-chien; 1045-1105), and Cai Xiang (Ts’ai Hsiang; 1012-1067), Mi Fei is known as one of the four great masters of calligraphy of the Song Dynasty (Sung; 960-1279). He was a gifted artist with deep perceptions and passionate sensitivity. He possessed an irrepressible urge to rise above stuffy conventions and had a tendency to protest against accepted practices. Outspoken and unbridled, Mi Fei liked to wear loosely fitted robes with sweeping sleeves, in the style popular during the Tang Dynasty (T’ang; 618-907), and he had an idiosyncratic fixation on cleanliness, refusing to share towels and utensils with even his closest associates. Furthermore, he had a passion, if not an obsession, for grotesquely shaped rocks, before which according to tradition he would even prostrate himself and worship. It is therefore not at all surprising that Mi Fei acquired the nickname Midian, or Mi the Eccentric.

Life’s Work

Mi Fei was a collector, art critic, connoisseur, painter, and calligrapher. He was appointed a collator in the Imperial Library at the age of twenty and subsequently served for two decades in minor official posts in the southern provinces. His home on the palace grounds and successive travels in the south afforded him ample opportunity to cultivate social contacts and to study many calligraphic works in private collections. He completed his first book on classical calligraphic works, Bao zhang dai fang lu (records of searches for precious scrolls), in 1086. He was widely acclaimed as a leading calligrapher in 1088, at the age of thirty-six, when he wrote his famous Shu su tie (calligraphy on coarse Sichuan silk).

In 1092, Mi Fei was appointed subprefect in Yungjiu, Henan; he was then close to the capital, Kaifeng, where famed collectors and dealers were easily accessible. According to his necrology, in 1103 he was given the title doctor of the imperial sacrifices (taichang boshi) for his calligraphic skills. Mi Fei reached the pinnacle of his official career in 1105, when he was invited to become doctor of calligraphy and painting (shuhua boshi) and, shortly thereafter, assistant division chief of the board of rites (libu yuanwailang). He was given an audience with Emperor Huizong (Hui-tsung; r. 1101-1125), to whom he presented his own handwritten copy of the “Thousand-Character Essay” following the foremost example of pre-Tang standard script (kaishu).

Mi Fei maintained close contacts with some of the outstanding intellectuals of his time. At the age of thirty-two, he was fortunate enough to make the acquaintance of Su Dongpo. Su Dongpo was a towering figure in an influential circle of scholar-officials, and he considered Mi Fei his protégé. He encouraged Mi Fei to begin a serious study of calligraphic works of the masters of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (Chin; 317-420 c.e.), particularly those of Wang Xizhi (Wang Hsi-chih; c. 307-379) and Wang Xianzhi (Wang Hsien-chih; 344-386). Mi Fei equipped himself with a boat that he named Shuhua fang (boat of calligraphy and painting) and sailed it up and down the waterways in southeastern China, eagerly participating in the privileged social game of collecting and trading art objects.

A unique combination of connoisseur and artist is immediately discernible in Mi Fei. For him, connoisseurship and artistic skills complemented each other one was the sine qua non of the other. This view is particularly understandable in the cultural climate of which Mi Fei was a part, for nearly all the original brushwork art of the classical period was lost and copying the works of the early masters was an integral part of practicing calligraphy. Copies of the originals, or copies of the copies, served as the primary source of information for the study of early masterpieces. One could depend only on the expert judgment of the connoisseurs, who might have viewed more originals and better copies.

Mi Fei had diligently practiced the art of calligraphy since his early childhood. He copied most laboriously works of masters of the Eastern Jin Dynasty works he regarded as stylistic prototypes, embodying the highest standards of fine calligraphy. Few artists, in fact, have ever engaged in such a prolonged and fruitful study of the works of their predecessors. Mi Fei became known for his extraordinary ability to copy faithfully works of early masters down to the minutest details. He frequently borrowed masterworks from his associates and copied them meticulously. His skill reached such perfection that even some of the most discerning connoisseurs were confounded and could not differentiate his copies from the originals. Through his ardent and creative absorption of the skills and artistic spirit embodied in the works of earlier masters, Mi Fei achieved an unprecedented level of brush mastery. His calligraphic works demonstrate a refreshing style and a distinctive cultivated air.

Mi Fei’s critical writings are widely regarded as the foremost source of information for the history of calligraphic work before the Song Dynasty. He transmitted an image of the Jin masters’ art through his personal interpretations. Although Mi Fei’s writings lacked systematic integrity, he presented himself forcefully and methodically. He scrutinized an enormous volume of painting and calligraphic pieces and offered candid (though often cantankerous) and trenchant comments in the form of discussions. Although Mi Fei wrote on the history of calligraphy and painting, connoisseurship of ink stones and paper, techniques of scroll mounting, and the use of seals, those observations on calligraphy have had the most lasting influence.

According to Mi Fei, extensive and continuous stylistic explorations within the classical tradition are paramount: They are directly beneficial to the development of the theoretical proficiency required of an artist. This proficiency helps facilitate the formation of the artist’s personal style. In addition, Mi Fei regarded the development of calligraphy as a social phenomenon, not to be dictated by the particular style of an individual. He wrote most frequently in running script (xingshu), most popular during the Song. This style combines the legibility of standard script with the creative freedom of cursive. Mi Fei also left behind specimens written in the traditional seal (zhuanshu) and clerical (lishu) styles. In fact, a wide spectrum of styles and a variety of shapes and strokes are found in his oeuvre. His brush strokes seem to have been made in rhythmic bursts; they display restless energy and effortlessness. Fluidity and spontaneity characterize his work. Artistic creation, according to Mi Fei, must demonstrate quintessential artistic qualities such as chaoyi (transcendence), pingdan (plain tranquillity), and tianren (natural perfection). This view decisively and profoundly influenced many artists in China after him.

Although his calligraphic works are better known than his paintings, Mi Fei’s landscapes did give rise to a new school of painting , known as the Mi school. His creative inner impulse led him to break with accepted conventions. It is said that in his landscape paintings he abandoned drawn lines altogether in favor of blobs of splashed ink, thus giving more vitality to his creations. The term “Mi mountains” (Mijiashan) refers to the landscapes of Mi Fei and his son Mi Yuren (Mi Yu-jen), who was an accomplished artist in his own right.

Significance

Calligraphy was the art form most widely practiced in traditional China. Everyone who aspired to enter into officialdom was expected to be a proficient calligrapher. Exquisite and refined calligraphy was regarded by the Chinese as their supreme artistic and, simultaneously, moral achievement. That brushwork mirrored the personality and the moral character of the artist was a concept accepted since the early Han Dynasty (206 b.c.e.-220 c.e.). For the Chinese, calligraphy is an effective means through which one cultivates inner strength and morality. Thus, in China, Mi Fei calligrapher, art historian, and connoisseur par excellence is immortalized for his artistic eminence.

Bibliography

Gao, Jianping. The Expressive Act in Chinese Art: From Calligraphy to Painting. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell International, 1996. An examination of the place of calligraphy and painting in Chinese art. Bibliography and index.

Ledderose, Lothar. Mi Fu and the Classical Tradition of Chinese Calligraphy. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1979. This scholarly, comprehensive, and detailed study of Mi Fei discusses the pivotal role he played in the transmission of the classical tradition of the Jin masters’ art. The author traces the evolutionary patterns in the history of Chinese calligraphy through a study of the methods Mi Fei used to investigate the past. Mi Fei’s historical and aesthetic concepts are carefully examined. Numerous illustrations help enliven the author’s skillful discussions.

Mi Fei. Mi Fu on Ink-Stones. Translated by R. H. van Gulik. Peking: H. Vetch, 1938. A translation of one of Mi Fei’s works, although on ink stones rather than on calligraphy.

Sturman, Peter Charles. Mi Fu: Style and the Art of Calligraphy in Northern Song China. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1997. A treatment of the calligrapher that deals largely with his artistic style and his legacy. Bibliography and index.

Sullivan, Michael. The Three Perfections: Chinese Painting, Poetry, and Calligraphy. Rev. ed. New York: George Braziller, 1999. A general examination of calligraphy and its relation to the other arts of painting and poetry in China. Bibliography.