Ouyang Xun
Ouyang Xun, Han nationality, named Xinben, was born in Hengzhou in 557 AD. His ancestral home is Linxiang, Tanzhou. He is one of the four masters of regular script. Dr. Taichang, an official in the Sui Dynasty, was named Prince Shugengling in the Tang Dynasty, also known as Ouyang Shugeng. Together with three other people of the same generation, they were called the Four Great Masters of the Early Tang Dynasty. Because his son Ouyang Tong was also proficient in calligraphy, he was also called Da Ou. Ouyang Xun's regular script was unparalleled in his rigorous standard and powerful writing style, and he was called the best regular script in the Tang Dynasty. Both he and Yu Shinan were famous for their calligraphy in the early Tang Dynasty, and they were also called Ou Yu. Later generations saw that their calligraphy was extremely dangerous in the middle of the plain, and was the easiest for beginners to learn. They were named Ou style. Many people commented on his calligraphy. Ouyang Xun was smart and studious, and he read a lot. When he was young, he read extensively about ancient and modern times. He was proficient in Shiji, Hanshu and Dongguan Hanji. He was especially good at calligraphy, almost to the point of obsession. It is said that Ouyang Xun once went out on horseback and accidentally saw a stone tablet written by Suo Jing, a famous calligrapher of the Jin Dynasty, by the roadside. He sat on the horse and watched carefully for a while before leaving. But after walking a few steps, he couldn't help but come back to watch. He admired it many times and did not want to leave. So he simply spread out a felt and sat down to ponder over it. Finally, he stood next to the monument. He sat and lay down for three days before leaving. When Ouyang Xun practiced calligraphy, he initially imitated him, and later developed his own style. In particular, his regular regular script is strong and strong, and his rules are strict. He was regarded as a model by later generations of calligraphers and passed down to the world as the European style. The calligraphy evaluation book says: "The eight styles of inquiry are as good as the best, and the writing power is strong and dangerous." The body of the seal script is particularly fine, with flying white crowns, superior to those of the ancients. It resembles a fighting dragon and a snake, the force of a light cage in the clouds and mist, several swirls of thunder, and the movement is like a god. The book of Zhenxing comes from Tai Ling and is integrated into one body. It is as dark as an arsenal of spears and halberds, the wind god is more strict than Zhiyong, and less polished than Yu Shinan. His cursive writing circulates repeatedly, and he looks at the two kings, which can be moved; but when he is frightened, he jumps into the horse, does not avoid danger, and is injured by the Qing Dynasty. Xuanhe's calligraphy of Song Dynasty praised his regular script as the best in calligraphy. According to historical records, Ouyang Xun's appearance is very ugly, but his calligraphy is famous all over the world. People are vying to get his handwritten ruler and calligraphy. Once they get it, they will Consider it a treasure and a model for your own calligraphy practice. During the Wude period of Tang Dynasty, Goryeo specially sent envoys to Chang'an to obtain Ouyang Xun's calligraphy. He sighed and said: I didn't expect Ouyang Xun's reputation to be so famous that even the Yi Di from far away knew about it. When they saw Ouyang Xun's handwriting, they must have thought that he was a tall and tall man. Ouyang Xun died in the Zhenguan period at the age of more than 80 years. The ink inscriptions handed down after his death include Bu Shang Tie, Zhang Han Tie, etc., and the inscriptions include Jiucheng Palace Liquan Inscription, Huangfu's Birthday Stele, etc., which are all treasures of calligraphy art. Later generations will call him together with Yu Shinan, Chu Suiliang and Xue Ji in the early Tang Dynasty as the four great calligraphers in the early Tang Dynasty. Ouyang Xun is not only a great calligrapher of the generation, but also a calligraphy theorist. He summed up the practice of calligraphy in his long-term calligraphy practice. The eight ways to learn calligraphy are: like a falling stone from a high peak, like a crescent moon in the sky, like a formation of clouds thousands of miles away, like a long-lived withered vine, like a strong pine bent upside down, like a hanging stone cliff, like the hair of a crossbow. Like a sharp sword cutting off a rhinoceros horn, like a wave of brush strokes. Ouyang Xun's writings on teaching, writing theory, eight tactics, and thirty-six methods are all summaries of his own experience in learning calligraphy. They summarized the use of brushes in calligraphy in a more specific way. Calligraphy formal skills and aesthetic requirements such as structure and composition are precious heritage of Chinese calligraphy theory.