Ou Yangxun is one of the four masters of regular script (Ou Yangxun, Yan Zhenqing, Liu Gongquan and Zhao Mengfu). Dr. Taichang, the official of Sui Dynasty, was named Prince Geng Ling in Tang Dynasty, also known as "Ouyang Lvgeng".
Together with the other three contemporaries (Yu Shinan, Chu Suiliang, Xue Qi), they are called the four masters of the early Tang Dynasty. Because his son Ouyang Tong is also good at calligraphy, he is also called "Big Europe". Ou Yangxun is known as the first regular script in Tang Dynasty for his rigorous brushwork and precipitous brushwork. He and Yu Shinan were both famous for their calligraphy in the early Tang Dynasty, also known as "Ou Yu". Later generations saw danger in peace with their books, and Xi Zhi, the first one, was named "Ou Ti".
Ou Yangxun was clever and diligent, and read several lines at the same time. When he was a teenager, he was proficient in Historical Records, Han Shu, Dong Guan Han Ji, especially calligraphy, almost to the point of obsession. It is said that Ou Yangxun once rode out and happened to see a stone tablet written by Suo Jing, a famous calligrapher in Jin Dynasty.
He rode on a horse and watched it carefully for a while before leaving, but just a few steps later, he couldn't help but return to dismount and watch. He boasted many times that he didn't want to leave, so he simply laid a blanket and sat down to ponder over it. Finally, he sat by the monument for three days before leaving.
Ou Yangxun's main achievements
1, call to repair the book
In the fifth year of Emperor Gaozu's reign (AD 622), Ou Yangxun presided over the compilation of Wen Wei Po. I have been writing for seven years, seeking a preface. Book 100 volume, divided into 48 parts. This book quoted 1400 kinds of ancient books, most of which were later lost. Lai's Selected Works preserved many important contents of various books.
2. Calligraphy achievements
Ou Yangxun is not only a great calligrapher, but also a calligraphy theorist. In his long-term calligraphy practice, he summed up eight methods of practicing and learning Chinese characters. Ou Yangxun's teaching strategy, the theory of writing with a brush, and the eight methods and thirty-six methods are all his own experiences in learning calligraphy. He specifically summarized the formal skills and aesthetic requirements of writing with a brush, knotting and composing, which is a valuable legacy of calligraphy theory, China.