The idea of "integrating calligraphy into seal engraving" proposed by the Qing Dynasty seal engraver Deng Shiru was a significant innovation in the history of Chinese seal engraving art. Deng Shiru broke through the limitation of the traditional seal engraving concept of "seeking seals within seals", deeply integrating the brushwork of calligraphy with the techniques of seal engraving, and initiated the new concept of "seals derived from calligraphy". The formation of his theory was closely related to the innovation of seal stone materials in the mid-Qing Dynasty, the flourishing of epigraphy, and the development of literati seal engraving. Deng Shiru's seal engraving style evolved from "square and elegant" to "round and graceful", and then to "rough and spontaneous", reflecting his continuous exploration and deepening of the combination of calligraphy and seal engraving. However, previous studies on Deng Shiru's "integrating calligraphy into seal engraving" idea mostly focused on individual examples or analyzed it merely from the perspective of literature to literature and seal engraving to seal engraving, lacking comprehensiveness and three-dimensionality.Therefore, this article chooses to start from the literature, seal engraving works, and inscriptions of Deng Shiru and the three seal engraving masters Wu Rangzhi, Zhao Zhiqian, and Wu Changshuo, combines image analysis, and employs research methods such as philology, sociology, and iconography to comprehensively explore the acceptance, transformation, and historical echoes of the "integrating calligraphy into seal engraving" idea.
The inheritance and development of Deng Shiru's "integrating calligraphy into seal engraving" idea by Wu Rangzhi, Zhao Zhiqian, and Wu Changshuo demonstrated the diverse evolution of Qing Dynasty seal engraving art. Wu Rangzhi systematically inherited Deng Shiru's style, refined his knife techniques and composition, emphasized that "seal script is the method of seal engraving, and knife technique is the method of brushwork", and incorporated the brushwork of clerical script into white seal engraving, making the seal surface rigorous yet dynamic. His later works deepened Deng Shiru's "use my own method" spirit of freedom with "the method of no method". Wu Changshuo expanded the aesthetic dimension of "seals and calligraphy sharing the same origin" through the freehand style of metal and stone, incorporated the brushwork of the Stone Drum Script into seal engraving, created "metal and stone seal script", and reconstructed the rhythm of the seal surface through techniques such as chipping and parallel strokes, endowing seal engraving with a modern interest of vastness and solemnity. Zhao Zhiqian proposed the idea of "seeking seals outside of seals", broke through the traditional boundaries of source seeking, and introduced elements of Northern Wei steles and images into the art of side inscriptions, promoting the diversified development of seal engraving. Their practices not only continued Deng Shiru's core ideas but also endowed them with new contemporary connotations through individualized exploration, jointly constructing the evolution of Qing Dynasty seal engraving from "seeking seals within seals" to "seeking seals outside of seals".
Deng Shiru's "integrating calligraphy into seal engraving" idea and its inheritance and development have had a profound impact on modern and contemporary seal engraving art. This idea emphasizes that the style of seal engraving art originates from calligraphy, and that seal engraving and calligraphy interact with each other, injecting new vitality into seal engraving art. The explorations of Wu Rangzhi, Wu Changshuo, and Zhao Zhiqian not only promoted the transformation of seal engraving art from classical techniques to modern aesthetics but also laid the aesthetic foundation for the "metal and stone quality", "freehand style", and "cross-border integration" of modern and contemporary seal engraving. This idea and its inheritance still hold significant academic value and innovative significance for the study of calligraphy and seal engraving today, providing rich ideological resources and practical examples for contemporary seal and calligraphy creation, inspiring artists to continuously innovate on the basis of inheriting traditions and writing new chapters of seal engraving art in the new era.