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米芾所论“小字”、“大字”与“势”的关系

2022-04-28 13:38:11


对于米芾所论的“大字如小字”,我们首先要界定清楚小字与大字的尺寸。关于小字与大字本没有具体的尺寸,只有在相互比较时才有小大之别。对比在书法发展的历史中保留下来的书法作品,我们拟将字径在 1~2 厘米左右的字称为小字,如锺繇的《荐季侄表》、王羲之的《黄庭经》、王献之的《洛神赋十三行》等。字径在 2.5 厘米左右,如智永《真草千字文》及字径在 3 厘米左右的,应为古人最常用之字径尺寸,即元人郑杓所说的“寸以内”者。
至于大字的概念则更为广泛,我们可以从古人留下的只言片语中寻找到一个大概的尺寸。如宋人黄庭坚曾云:“大字无过《瘗鹤铭》”,王铎则将米芾的大字称为“橘形大字”,其字径在 5 厘米左右,擘窠书,字径在 10 厘米左右。综上,我们拟将字径在 5 厘米左右及以上的字称为大字,即郑杓所谓“寸以外”者。
既然搞清了“小字”、“大字”的尺寸,我们就要理清“势”是什么?关于“势”字在字典中的解释有很多,诸如权力、力量、情形、形状、样式等等,在此不多加阐述。而“势”字也很早就出现在中国古代的书论中,诸如蔡邕的《九势》、卫恒的《四体书势》、索靖的《草书势》等,以及经常会出现在书论中的“笔势”、“字势”、“局势”等词,仅仅在书论中的势就有多种含义。通过梳理,可知古代书论中的‘势’主要有三种含义:“一、法度;二、“势”的四要素:运动、力、速度、趋向;三、文体名。”那么在谈及如何书写大字时,米芾所论的“势”指的是什么?以及他曾多次提及的“凡大字要如小字,小字如大字”中“小字”与“大字”具体指的是什么?还要理清“小字”、“大字”与“势”之间又有什么样的关系?


小字须锋势备全

米芾云:
吾书小字行书,有如大字。唯家藏真迹跋尾,间或有之,不以与求书者。
对照他所说的“凡大字要如小字,小字要如大字”一句,可知米芾所论的小字就是他题于自家所藏真迹后的跋文,也就是他所说的小字行书。而他留下的另外一则跋文则说:“芾自命此书为跋尾书,惟题于家真迹后,不写以遗人。”对于他只写在家藏真迹后的跋文,并且不将此类书作写给其他求书者,他将自己这一类的小字称之为“跋尾书”。至此,我们可以得出米芾所论的“小字”就是他只题于家藏真迹名作之后的“跋尾书”。对于米芾如此自负的性格,竟如此珍视他的小字行书,那么他的小字究竟是何种面目?其取法的来源是在哪?还是他自己的独创呢?我们可以从他留存的书论中找到线索。
米芾坚持作小字要如大字的书写观念,认为自己的小字行书写的像大字一样。同时,他认为有一位前贤书家也做到了这一点。米芾曾云:
凡大字要如小字,小字要如大字。褚遂良小字如大字,其后经生祖述,间有造妙者。


他认为褚遂良的小字写的如大字一样,这与他的书学观点是一致的,加上米芾在其《自叙帖》中说过他取法过五位唐人,相较颜真卿欧阳询、沈传师和段季展,褚遂良无疑是此五人中用笔最具丰富性,结体最为灵活的,这一点似乎与米芾作书率性而为的观点最为贴近,并且他在此帖中亦云:“学书贵弄翰……久之,如印板排算,乃慕褚而学最久。”此帖约成书于
建中靖国元年(1101),即米芾五十一岁左右,是其临池学书的经历,也可当做是其大半生的总结。
如文中所说,他仰慕褚遂良的书作,并且在取法诸师时学习褚遂良书法的时间最久,亦可说明米芾在褚遂良身上用工极深。在书法艺术上似乎有些自负的米芾,对于前人的评价大部分没有过多的褒奖,但对褚遂良似乎不吝赞美之词,云:“褚遂良如熟驭阵马,举动随人,而别有一种娇色。”在褚摹《兰亭》的题跋中更是可见米芾对褚遂良的仰慕:
观意易改数字,真是褚笔,落笔直书,馀皆双钩,清润有秀气,转折芒锷备尽,非知书者不能到。世俗所收,或肥或瘦,乃是工人所作,正以此本为定。
“落笔直书”、“转折芒锷备尽”似乎是合了米芾的胃口,这种率意的书写方式以及对笔锋的充分使用无疑都是米芾所崇尚的。再对比褚遂良存世的小字行书作品《唐文皇哀册》和《枯树赋》,会发现米芾所珍视的小字行书十分得褚遂良神韵。通过与褚遂良帖中同字对比我们可以发现,米芾的小字确实与褚遂良的小字有诸多相似之处,尤其是在字的用笔、结构和势态上,二者有极高的吻合度。如在米芾“跋尾书”中“竖钩”的写法即来源于褚遂良。因此,我们可以推测米芾的小字行书就是取法褚遂良。
对于小字与势的关系,米芾曾云:“世人多写大字时用力捉笔……要须如小字,锋势备全,都无刻意做作乃佳。”这一句虽然是在论述大字的书写方法,实际上也道出了书写小字行书的精髓,就是“锋势备全”和“都无刻意做作乃佳”。
“锋”字无疑就是指毛笔的锋芒,孙过庭《书谱》曾云:“一画之间,变起伏于锋杪;一点之内,殊衄挫于豪芒。”意思就是要善于使用毛笔的锋芒。
“势”字如上文所说有多种的解释,而米芾此处所论的“势”,我们认为应该解释为运
动、力量、速度方向,米芾所论的“锋势备全”则应当将“锋”与“势”合起来解释。关
于“锋势”,书论中也有相关的记载:
行书之带笔,乃其过脉处,锋势与本文必有节奏,其字始有骨力。若其浑去不可分者,狂草则可,不然,败笔也。名家作字,但宁念本文,其锋势引带,无意得之。
“锋势”指的无疑就是点画之间的生成关系,就是笔锋在运笔的过程中,由于力量、速度方向的不同而引起的变化。由于小字自身尺寸的原因,点画在转瞬间即可形成,点画之间的引带也在瞬间完成,书家无法在极短的时间内刻意去勾勒点画的形状,这自然是与米芾所谓的“都无刻意做作乃佳”相吻合。

大字要有飞动之势

关于“大字”书法在早期书论中就有记载,但比较零散和稀少。宋及宋以后,书家们开始有意识地关注“大字”书法的理论与实践,所以关于“大字”书法的讨论也就逐渐增多。如上所述,米芾曾在其书论中多次谈论“大字”书法,但多是在批判别人的“大字”书法作品,他曾云:
凡大字要如小字,小字要如大字。褚遂良小字如大字,其后经生祖述,间有造妙者。大字如小字,未之见也。
他认为能将小字写的像大字一样的,褚遂良做的好,之后还有一些抄经生写的不错,但是能将大字写的像小字一样好的没有见到,却自言他的大字作品有飞动之势。那么我们就从米芾存世的作品中来看一下他认为“如小字”一样的大字作品,应该具备怎样的特征。
今可见米芾存世仅四件大字墨迹,《多景楼诗册》、《吴江舟中诗》、《砚山铭》和《虹县诗卷》,似乎相比较他的小字作品是少之又少。然而从其传世刻帖中,我们尚可读到为数不少的大字作品,如《孔子手植桧赞》、《张大亨题名》、《第一山题字》、《曹植应诏诗》、《灵峰行记》以及《自叙帖》等。观其作品,可知这些大字作品多为行书横卷样式,这样的形式是与当时的文人均在案几上欣赏作品有关,每列多以二三字为主,此或困于手卷的高度,然通篇用笔轻松率真,毫无刻画勾勒的痕迹,字形大小应势成形,不作刻意统一,在点画的起收处表现出自然率真的笔意,笔画的引带上也是因势生发,无牵强连带之感,这些特征都符合其作大字要如小字,须锋势备全的创作观念。
米芾存世的大字作品字径多在五厘米左右,而其传世刻帖中还有尺寸更为巨大的作品,以《灵峰行记》为例,存世拓本单开的尺寸高达三十一厘米,可推知米芾此作的字径是多么巨大。此拓本为宋代拓本,且刻工精良,可想其还原度是很高的。观此刻帖,虽是单字为一页,且字形大小相差不多,但从单字中也可看出米芾对于大字作品的控制能力,笔画起收时不作精微的描摹,而是任笔势自然表现,点画的生成关系也是自然过渡,不勾勒描形,每个字都显示出飞动之态。因此,我们认为米芾确是掌握了大字的书写方法。
在《海岳名言》中,米芾多次论及书写大字的方法,甚至有些自负的说出“自古及今,余不敏,实得之”这样的话,这说明在米芾看来他是掌握了大字的书写技巧的。米芾反复提到“大字”书写的标准就是大字要如小字一样,要“锋势备全”。对于此时的“锋势”,已不能简单的理解为在使用笔锋时,由于速度、力量、方向的不同而导致笔锋所表现出势态的变化。因为字形的扩大,书家已然不能像写小字一般将手置于桌案书写,须将肘腕抬起,如郑杓曾云:
寸以内,法在掌指;寸以外,法兼肘腕。掌指,法之常也;肘腕,法之变也。
通过这句话我们可以知道在书写大字与小字时,这二者的执笔方式是不同的。由于字形的扩大,手腕的运动范围已经不能满足大字笔画的运动幅度,需要借助“肘”的运动,笔锋在行笔的过程中通过腕、肘的运动引起笔画的变化,使得笔画得以延伸,加上中锋与侧锋的灵活多变,从而导致“笔势”的多变,再由变化丰富的“笔势”组合成一个完整的字,使得整个“字势”更具飞动之感。我们认为“锋势”与“笔势”的概念应该是包含在“字势”之中的,有“牵一发而动全身”的意味。通过将米芾的大字与小字缩放至一样的大小后进行比较,可以发现米芾确实做到了他所说的“大字如小字”,做到了“锋势备全”。
从米芾的大字作品中,我们还可以看到大字丰富的墨色变化,这是由于毛笔在运动的过程中,由于方向、速度、力量的不同而引起的墨色变化,也就是笔锋在入纸的瞬间以及在行笔的过程中,在“势”的作用下而形成的丰富变化。这无疑更加增添了米芾大字的张力。由于大字的字径更大,笔画相对于小字来说更有分量,再结合“肘腕”的运用,使得大字的部分笔画相较于小字来说,就显得更加的“放纵”。例如:“气”字的、“题”字以及“观”字,这些细节的处理更加增强了字的势态,从而形成了更强烈的视觉效果,使得米芾的大字更具飞动之势。
这些丰富的变化应该都依赖于米芾所说的“大字如小相合,顺其自然的“产物”,这正与米芾的“都无刻意做作乃佳”以及“随意落笔,皆得自然”的思想所统一。不刻意安排经营,率性而成的这一思想又与整个宋代的“尚意”书风相吻合。从上文可知,米芾自言“如大字”一般的小字作品来源于其取法的褚遂良,那么他的如“小字”一般的大字又是从何处取法呢?还是仅仅将他的小字放大形成的呢?
米芾在其《自叙帖》中尝言:“书壁以沈传师为主,小字,大不取也。”此处,米芾明确表明,只学沈书题壁和小字,大字是不取的,观米芾的《海岳题跋》中有《唐礼部尚书沈传师道林寺诗》一文:
右在潭州道林寺四绝堂,以杉板薄略布粉不盖纹,故岁久墨不脱……沈碑,某官潭,借留书斋半岁。搨得之,石本为抚(摹),石僧希白,务于劲快,多改落笔端,直无复缥缈萦回飞动之势。
沈氏此作今已不传,米芾在此处也未说明沈传师的这幅作品的大小,但我们从蔡绦的话中可
知传师此作为大字作品,蔡绦云:“……唐沈传师有《道林寺》,大字犹掌。”
由此可知,沈传师的这幅作品,字如手掌大小,也当在三寸至五寸左右的大小。至此,我们再来分析米芾的这段话,他说由于僧人的摹刻,改变了此作原有的面貌,使得沈氏此作失去了飞动之感,这无疑是在夸赞传师原迹是有飞动之势的。据曹宝麟先生考证,米芾在潭州(今长沙)做官是在北宋熙宁八年(1075 年)至元丰四年(1081 年)之间,短短六年时间,却自言留在书斋临摹学习传师此迹长达半年之久,足可说明米芾对沈传师这幅大字作品的喜爱程度。那么,米芾所谓不取传师大字的话也就不成立了。
由此我们可知,米芾也学过沈氏的大字书法。对于书写大字作品的具体方法米芾并没有论及,这应该是由于宋代还是处于对大字行草书的探索阶段造成的,但米芾关于“大字”书法的创作观点在当时可谓是针砭时弊,理清了时人在大字作品在创作时所遇的问题,也为明清“大字”行草书的理论和技法研究铺设了道路。

for Mi Fu's" big characters are like small characters ", we must first clearly define the size of small characters and big characters. There is no specific size between small characters and big characters, and only when they are compared with each other can there be a difference between small and big characters. Comparing the calligraphy works preserved in the history of calligraphy development, we plan to call the characters with a diameter of about 1 ~ 2 cm small characters, such as Zhong Yao's table of recommending Ji niece, Wang Xizhi's Huang Ting Jing and Wang Xianzhi's "Luoshen Fu thirteen elements", etc. The word diameter is about 2.5cm, such as Zhiyong's "thousand words in real grass" and the word diameter is about 3cm, which should be the most commonly used word diameter size of the ancients, that is, the word diameter "within an inch" mentioned by Zheng dipper of the Yuan Dynasty
the concept of big characters is more extensive. We can find an approximate size from a few words left by the ancients. For example, Huang Tingjian of the Song Dynasty once said:" big characters are no better than the inscription of burying cranes ", while Wang Duo called Mi Fu's big characters" orange shaped big characters ", with a diameter of about 5cm and a diameter of about 10cm when breaking a nest book. In conclusion, we plan to call characters with a diameter of about 5cm or more as big characters, which is what Zheng dipper called "Beyond inch"
now that we have a clear understanding of the size of" small character "and" big character ", we need to clarify what" Shi "is. There are many explanations of" Shi "in the dictionary, such as power, power, situation, shape, style and so on, which are not elaborated here. The word" Shi "has also appeared in ancient Chinese Book Theory for a long time, such as Cai Yong's" nine Shi ", Wei Heng's" Si Ti Shu Shi "and Suo Jing's" Cao Shu Shi " And other words that often appear in Book Theory, such as "brush posture", "word posture" and "situation", the potential in book theory alone has a variety of meanings. Through combing, we can see that the "potential" in ancient book theory mainly has three meanings: "first, testimonies; second, the four elements of" potential ": movement, force, speed and trend; 3、 Style name. " So when talking about how to write big characters, what does Mi Fu mean by "potential"? And what does "small character" and "big character" in "all big characters should be like small characters and small characters like big characters" that he has mentioned many times refer to? What is the relationship between "small characters", "big characters" and "potential"


small character whiskers are ready < / P > < section style =" margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, " Helvetica Neue", & quot; PingFang SC", & quot; Hiragino Sans GB", & quot; Microsoft YaHei UI", & quot; Microsoft YaHei", Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.544px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); overflow-y: auto; line-height: 1.75em; text-indent: 2em; box-sizing: border-box ! important; overflow-wrap: break-word ! important; "> Mi Fuyun: < / section > < section style =" margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, " Helvetica Neue", & quot; PingFang SC", & quot; Hiragino Sans GB", & quot; Microsoft YaHei UI", & quot; Microsoft YaHei", Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.544px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); overflow-y: auto; line-height: 1.75em; text-indent: 2em; box-sizing: border-box ! important; overflow-wrap: break-word ! important; "> my calligraphy is written in small characters, just like big characters. Only the family collects the authentic works, and sometimes there are postscripts. It is not suitable for those who ask for books. < / section > < section style =" margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, " Helvetica Neue", & quot; PingFang SC", & quot; Hiragino Sans GB", & quot; Microsoft YaHei UI", & quot; Microsoft YaHei", Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.544px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); overflow-y: auto; line-height: 1.75em; text-indent: 2em; box-sizing: border-box ! important; overflow-wrap: break-word ! important; "> according to the sentence" every big character should be as small as a big character, and small characters should be as big as a big character ", we can see that the small character Mi Fu talked about is the postscript after his authentic work, that is, what he called small character running script. While another postscript he left said:" Fu thinks this book is the postscript, but he doesn't write it after his authentic work. " For the postscript he only wrote after collecting the authentic works at home and did not write such books to other book seekers, he called his own small characters "postscript postscript". So far, we can conclude that Mi Fu's "small character" is his "postscript book" after his collection of authentic masterpieces. For Mi Fu's so conceited character, he cherishes his small character running script so much, so what is the face of his small character? Where is the source of the method? Or his own originality? We can find clues from his book theory

Mi Fu insisted on the idea that small characters should be written like big characters. He thought that his small character running script was written like big characters. At the same time, he thought that a former calligrapher had done the same. Mi Fu Zeng Yun: < / section > < section style =" margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; max-width: 100%; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, " Helvetica Neue", & quot; PingFang SC", & quot; Hiragino Sans GB", & quot; Microsoft YaHei UI", & quot; Microsoft YaHei", Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.544px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); overflow-y: auto; line-height: 1.75em; text-indent: 2em; box-sizing: border-box ! important; overflow-wrap: break-word ! important; "> all big characters should be like small characters, and small characters should be like big characters. Chu suiliang's small characters are like big characters. Later, his ancestors said that there were wonderful ones. < / section > < P style =" margin: 0px 0px 0EM; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; max-width: 100%; clear: both; min-height: 1em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, " Helvetica Neue", & quot; PingFang SC", & quot; Hiragino Sans GB", & quot; Microsoft YaHei UI", & quot; Microsoft YaHei", Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.544px; text-align: justify; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 1.75em; box-sizing: border-box ! important; overflow-wrap: break-word ! important; ">

he believes that Chu suiliang's small characters are written like big characters, which is consistent with his calligraphy view. In addition, Mi Fu said in his autobiography that he had learned from five Tang people. Compared with Yan Zhenqing, Ouyang Xun, Shen CHUANSHI and Duan Jizhan, Chu suiliang is undoubtedly so