Zhao Zhiqian (1829-1884), a famous calligrapher, painter and seal carver in the Qing Dynasty of China. Han nationality, from Shaoxing, Zhejiang. At the beginning, it was named Yifu, and it was named Lengjun; later, it was changed to Shushu, named Tiesan, Hanliao, Bei'an, Wuzhan, Mei'an, etc. The residence is called "Er Jindie Tang" and "Bitter House". He was an official in Poyang, Jiangxi, and Fengxin County. He was good at poetry and calligraphy. Don't be out of fashion. Good at painting, flowers have changed after learning from Shi Tao, which is the pioneer of freehand flowers in the late Qing Dynasty. Beginners of seal cutting learned from Zhe school, followed Qin and Han seal seals, rejoined Song, Yuan and Anhui schools, obtained Qin edicts, Han mirrors, spring coins, Han inscriptions and inscriptions, etc. for printing. In his youth, he was famous all over the country for his talent. His attainments in calligraphy are multifaceted, and he can integrate the strokes of real, cursive, official script and seal script into one, complement each other and complement each other. Zhao Zhiqian once said: "Independence is expensive, the world is huge, many people say everything, independence is hard to find." He made unremitting efforts in poetry, calligraphy, painting and meaning all his life, and finally became a master of his generation.
     Since he was a child, he has been reading and practicing calligraphy, and he has learned a lot. He used to make a living by painting and calligraphy. Participated in 3 trials, all failed. At the age of 44, he was the editor-in-chief of "Jiangxi Tongzhi", and served as the county magistrate of Poyang, Fengxin, and Nancheng, and died in office. Good at figures, landscapes, especially flowers and plants. At the beginning, he painted in a beautiful style, and later learned from Xu Wei, Zhu Da, and the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou. Yan Zhenqing, his master of calligraphy at the beginning, later borrowed from the inscriptions of the Northern Dynasty. Zhao Zhiqian first imitated the Eight Schools of Xiling in seal cutting, and later pursued the Anhui School, and participated in imperial scripts, Han mirror inscriptions, coin inscriptions, tile inscriptions, sealing mud, etc., forming a unique style with varied rules and fresh artistic conceptions, and created Yangwen inscriptions , whose art organically combines poetry, calligraphy, painting and printing, and had a great influence on the art scene in the late Qing Dynasty. Many of his calligraphy and painting works have been handed down from generation to generation. Later generations edited and published a variety of albums and collections, including "Sorrowful Layman Essays", "Sorrowful Layman Poems", "Yonglu Xianjie", "Bu Huanyu Visiting Stele Records", "Six Dynasties" "Bieziji", which is printed with "Second Kingdie Hall Seal Book". In addition, Zhao Zhiqian wrote "The Chronicle of Zhang Zhonglie Gong", which narrates the life of Zhang Huangyan, a famous general who fought against the Qing Dynasty in the late Ming Dynasty, in the form of chronology. Zhao Zhiqian's seal cutting has made great achievements and has far-reaching influence on later generations. Modern masters such as Wu Changshuo and Qi Baishi have benefited a lot from him.

Appreciation of Zhao Zhiqian's seal cutting works