Zhang Longyan

Zhang Longyan (September 7, 1909 – May 1, 2009) was a modern calligrapher, art educator, and art critic. He was born in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. Originally named Longyan（龍炎）, he later changed his name to Longyan（隆延）, with the courtesy name "Shizhi" and the sobriquet "Leiweng."
==Life==
Born in Nanjing, Zhang Longyan hailed from a family of notable lineage. His grandfather, known as Shaochen Gong, served as an admiral in the Qing Dynasty army and later commander-in-chief in Susong before settled in Nanjing after his military career. His father, known as Jianquan Gong, held the rank of second grade and served as an official in the Ministry of Posts and Communications. Growing up in a household with a rich collection of art and literature, Zhang was exposed to calligraphy, painting, and antiquities from an early age. In 1928, he enrolled at Jinling University, majoring in political science while also studying Chinese literature under the tutelage of Hu Xiaoshi, a renowned scholar in Chinese literary history, poetry, and calligraphy. Recognized by the esteemed scholar Huang Kan, Zhang became his disciple. Graduating at the top of his class from Jinling University's political science department in 1932, Zhang went on to pursue further studies abroad. He obtained a doctoral degree in law from the University of Nancy in France after three years of study, followed by research stints at the University of Berlin, the University of Oxford, and Harvard University. In his early career, Zhang held various positions including roles at the Chinese Embassy in Germany, the United Nations Secretariat, and as a translator. Upon moving to Taiwan, he served as the president of the National Taiwan Academy of Arts in 1957, earning the moniker of "calligrapher head master." Later, in 1962, he became the director of the Department of Art at the University of Culture and the director of the Graduate School of Fine Arts at the same university. Zhang was elected as a permanent member of the Swiss International Academy of Arts and Literature in 1964. In 1966, he was appointed as the permanent deputy representative to UNESCO in Paris. In 1971, he settled in New York City and began teaching at St. John's University. He retired in 1978 and was honored with the title of distinguished visiting professor by St. John's University. In 1999, a retrospective exhibition of his works was held at the National Museum of History. Zhang Longyan passed away on May 1, 2009, at the Queens Medical Center in New York, USA.
==Calligraphy==
In calligraphy, Zhang Longyan studied under Hu Xiaoshi, delving into Chinese literary history, paleography, and calligraphy. He also learned from the rubbing of the "Zhang Qian Stele" from the Han Dynasty by He Shaoji, focusing on the study of clerical script, and extensively studied various Han bamboo slips. In his middle age years, he practiced extensively on Han Dynasty bamboo and silk manuscripts, carefully examining their similarities with clerical script. Apart from clerical script, he also extensively copied works by renowned Song Dynasty calligraphers, such as Huang Tingjian and Mi Fu, achieving a balance of form and spirit in his reproductions. He also delved into calligraphy theory. In 1971, his work "Chinese Calligraphy" (French: La Calligraphie chinoise, un art à quatre dimensions) was published in Paris in French. In 1990, he collaborated with his disciple Peter Miller, who taught at St. John's University, to publish "Four Thousand Years of Chinese Calligraphy." 
Throughout his years of teaching, Zhang Longyan nurtured numerous talented individuals, including Yao Yiwei, Hu Nianzu, Liu Guosong, Chen Ruikang (1935-), Fu Shen, Liu Pingheng (1936-2016), Wang Shiyi (1939-), Zhang Qingzhi (1943-), Luo Jianwu (1944-), Yuan Zhongping (1959-), and many others, all of whom were his students.
==Critic in Art==
In addition to his calligraphy pursuits, Zhang Longyan was also prolific in writing. Using the pen name "Jiufang Gao," he contributed articles on overseas observations to the "China Daily," under the column titled "Western Scenes." In 1970, these articles were compiled into a book by Biography. He also published numerous art critiques in newspapers during his career.
Category:1909 births
Category:2009 deaths
Category:Calligraphy
Category:Art educators