What font was popular in the Tang Dynasty, regular script, official script, or something else?

The Tang Dynasty was the heyday of China's feudal society, and it was also the heyday and heyday in the history of ancient Chinese calligraphy. The Tang Dynasty had great achievements in the art of regular script, with so many regular script masters, so many regular script masterpieces, and so many schools. The number and profound influence are unprecedented in the history of ancient calligraphy.

Regular script reached its peak in the Tang Dynasty, which is a historical necessity. In terms of the evolution of regular script, the late Han Dynasty was the founding period, and the Wei, Jin and Six Dynasties In order to inherit the development period, the Sui and Tang Dynasties began to gather great achievements on the basis of their predecessors. This is the law and requirement for the development of regular script itself. Regular script refers to the method, style, and model, which refers to a calligraphy style with regular strokes and few waves. It evolved from the squareness of the ancient official script, the elegance of the eight points, and the simplicity of the seal script. In the Qin Dynasty, the seal script began to "change from official script" to the Western Han Dynasty. During the Yao and Han Dynasties of the Western Han Dynasty, the division of script continued to mature, and regular script also appeared. "At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, , the stone carvings of official characters were mixed into the official script" ("Xuanhe Calligraphy"). During the Three Kingdoms period, Zhong Ci inherited the calligraphy characteristics of divided scripts and started an independent family. His book "He Jie Biao" was the ancestor of the official script. By the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Wang and his son also founded their own regular script, which became popular in later generations. In the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Wei stele was the most popular. The regular script of the Sui Dynasty was a link between the previous and the following. Several regular script masters in the early Tang Dynasty directly inherited Zhiyong and adopted the method of the Six Dynasties.

On the eve of the Tang Dynasty, regular script was A good foundation has been laid. Calligraphers before the Tang Dynasty explored and created regular script and achieved certain results. This was the prerequisite for regular script calligraphers in the Tang Dynasty to create and improve. Zhong Yao, Erwang, Zhiyong and others made great contributions to the regular script in the Tang Dynasty. The influence of regular script is very obvious. The "Gulang Stele" in the Three Kingdoms period was the pioneer of regular script, and the earliest regular script was introduced into the stele. The "Zhang Menglong Stele" of the Northern Wei Dynasty has the beauty of all the stele at that time, and was the forerunner of Ouyang Xun and Yu Shinan. .The best stele of the Sui Dynasty, the "Longzang Temple Stele", is a collection of stele from the Six Dynasties. Ou, Yu, Chu, Xue, and Lu (from Cambodia) passed down their legacy. Ouyang Xun's "Jiucheng Palace" and "Huadu Temple Stele" are popular The strong style is mainly due to the influence of Beishu. The two steles are rigorous in structure and orderly, and they are also the result of absorbing and developing the characteristics of Sui Dynasty calligraphy. Yu Shinan completely inherited the calligraphy of the main school and wrote "Confucius" "Temple Monument", the main method of writing can represent the artistic characteristics of the royal regular script of the Tang Dynasty. The four great calligraphers of the Tang Dynasty, Ou, Yu, Chu, and Xue, completed the final style of regular script after the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. The calligraphers of the mid-Tang Dynasty represented by Yan Zhenqing pursued the free sovereignty of the state of mind in the inevitable kingdom of regular script, and created It is not difficult to find the origins of the works of Yan Zhenqing, Liu Gongquan, Li Yong and others who have innovative spirit and outstanding achievements in Wei stele, Qi stele and Zhou stele. In Yan's book, we can see the works of Erwang and Liang. Traces of "He Ming" and the Northern Qi Dynasty's "Manjushri Prajna Sutra Stele". "The efforts of many generations have opened up their own living space and accumulated a rich legacy of experience. As long as they do a little construction, they can live and work in peace and contentment and enjoy the success." ( "The Burden of History and the Choices of the Times", see the twenty-seventh volume of "Calligraphy Research"). Jin script occupies the important position of Gaofu, while Tang regular script advances in the dangerous and narrow area and reaches its peak. From the perspective of the history of regular script, the Sui and Tang periods were the most Fortunately, it is also the most critical period. The enterprising spirit and fruitful fruits of the predecessors have already predicted that regular script will fully mature in the Tang Dynasty.

The Wang style regular script developed into the Sui Dynasty, and its artistic characteristics The regular script of the Tang Dynasty inherited the characteristics of neatness and law, and formed various schools with different styles and strict laws. People in the Jin Dynasty favored Yun, people in the Tang Dynasty favored law, people in the Song Dynasty favored meaning, and people in the Ming Dynasty favored attitude. These are different eras The norms and styles of the Qing Dynasty Liang Guan said in "Pingshu Tie" that "the Jin people did their best to reason, and the Geng people did their best. The Song people used more new ideas, and thought they were better than the Tang people, but they were actually not as good as them."

In While regular script achieved unprecedented development, new breakthroughs were made in theoretical research on calligraphy in the Tang Dynasty, and a large number of calligraphy theorists emerged. Based on the experience of their predecessors and the aesthetic rules of regular script, they summarized the creative rules of regular script art in practice. Since the Han and Wei dynasties, although there have been many commentators on calligraphy, "it is actually of no benefit to the future" ("Shu Pu"). In the Tang Dynasty, things were quite different. For example, Ouyang Xun's "Eight Secrets" and "Shu Pu"

Thirty-six Dharma Prisons, "Teaching Techniques", "On Writing", Yu Shinan's "Treatise on the Essence of Writing", "Book Purpose", Li Shimin's "Secrets on Writing", "On Calligraphy", "Indications", Sun Guoting's " "Book Book", Zhang Huaiguan's "Book Breaks", "Ten Methods of Using the Brush", "Yutang Forbidden Sutra", Cai Xizong's "Treatise on Dharma Calligraphy", Xu Hao's "On Calligraphy", Yan Zhenqing's "Twelve Meanings of Zhang Xu's Brushwork", Li Hua's "Er-Zi Jue", Lin Yun's "Preface to Ba Cheng", Shi Xia's "Lun Shu" and Zhang Yanyuan's "Fa Shu Yao Lu" are too numerous to mention. These treatises explain the techniques and methods of regular script in such detailed and specific ways. It is clear at a glance and has important guiding significance in the creation of regular scripts. It reflects the Tang Dynasty's requirements for the beauty of regular scripts. In terms of operation, the most detailed one is Zhiyong's "Eight Methods of Yongzi" inherited from one line, namely Side, Le, Nu, Qu, Ce, plunder, peck, and tap embody the main content of the rules of regular script writing. Ouyang Xun believed that these eight methods could not include the dot painting of all characters, so the gain was reduced to all of them. He wrote the "Eight Jue" and described it vividly and in detail. The posture of writing. Yan Zhenqing also wrote "Ode to the Eight Methods" and "Twelve Meanings of Zhang Xu's Writing Method", which are quite insightful in explaining the writing method. Ouyang Xun is very knowledgeable about the structure. His "Teaching Tips" says, "Every time you hold a pen, you must In Yuanzheng, the strength is vertical and horizontal, and the concentration and concentration are considered. When judging the shape of the characters, the four directions should be balanced, the eight sides should be complete, the short and long should be combined, the thickness should be balanced, the mind and eyes should be accurate, and the sparse and dense should be respected and upright." It is said that he created "Thirty". "Six Methods" is the most detailed discussion of structural laws in the Tang Dynasty, and has become the standard for regular script. Li Chun's "Eighty-Four Methods for Large Character Structure" in the Ming Dynasty, and Huang Ziyuan's "Ninety-two Methods for Interframe Structure" in the Qing Dynasty were developed on this basis. The structural method of the nine-square grid font was created by the people of the Tang Dynasty, and it was easy to learn the method of pointillism. The people of the Tang Dynasty had special research on the structure of regular script. Because they specialized in structure, there were many calligraphers who were proficient in the method of regular script. Even Zhang, a master of cursive script, Xu, Huaisu, Sun Guoting, etc. all have solid basic skills in regular script. Sun Guoting said, "If you use it with full proficiency and the rules are familiar with your mind, you will naturally be able to tolerate wandering. The meaning comes first and then the pen. It will flow freely and gracefully." ". Calligraphy in the Wei and Jin Dynasties developed to the extreme of being passionate and expressive. With the restoration of the Confucian tradition in the early Tang Dynasty, Sun Guoting put forward the requirement to establish rules and regulations. "Although the method of application is his own, the scale is set, and it belongs to the faith. At present." If you want to succeed in your studies, you should practice according to the correct rules and persevere. Entering the method is the means, and leaving the method is the goal. Zhang Xu wrote "The Story of Langguan Stone Pillar" with dignity, prudence, and extreme rules. This regular script skill made his calligraphy "Those who abide by the law are the most strict, and those who go beyond the law are the most vertical." No matter what style the calligraphers of the Tang Dynasty were good at, they all studied regular script carefully and meticulously, which is what the era respected. "Really use pointillism as form and quality, so that it can be transformed into temperament." .The beauty of regular script lies in temperament, which can shape Qi and quality. People in the Tang Dynasty advocated law. While pursuing the external objective beauty of calligraphy, they paid special attention to the objective laws in calligraphy creation and improved the summary of regular script to a complete level.

The Tang Dynasty set off a huge wave of cultural innovation. The innovation and improvement of regular script art is the general trend. The Tang Dynasty was a prosperous and powerful dynasty. The prosperity of the social economy will inevitably be reflected in the cultural field. The art of calligraphy, as a superstructure, is formed by the economic base. Determined. "As the economic base changes, the entire huge superstructure changes quickly or slowly" (Marx, "Critique of Political Economy: Preface"). The aristocratic culture that has been subordinate to the clan system since the Wei, Jin and Six Dynasties has no longer adapted to In response to the needs of the Tang Dynasty, representatives in the fields of poetry, music, sculpture, architecture and other fields dared to break through the old traditions and reform the old. In the calligraphy world, the southern calligraphy represented by the two kings in the early Tang Dynasty occupied a dominant position. Wang Xizhi was the bell secretary. An innovator, his calligraphy is characterized by thinness, grace, and majesty. Due to the decadent clan system and the constraints of gentry life at that time, Southern calligraphy inevitably had historical limitations. This aristocratic elegance and softness could not adapt to the prosperous Tang Dynasty. In a prosperous and open atmosphere, the art of calligraphy is facing reform and improvement.

Under the trend of regular script development, the rulers of the Tang Dynasty promoted calligraphy, especially regular script. We know that the economic foundation is the final decision of cultural development. Conditions, but material production or life does not directly determine artistic production. The first thing that directly affects artistic production is politics. The politics of the Tang Dynasty had a direct and profound impact on the development of regular script.

At this moment, the politics of the Qingming Dynasty made society relatively stable. From the "Reign of Zhenguan" by Emperor Taizong of the early Tang Dynasty to the "Rule of Kaiyuan" by Emperor Xuanzong of the middle Tang Dynasty, the social economy was unprecedentedly prosperous, and the development of culture and art became the peak of the world at that time. The country was unprecedentedly unified. , there were extensive cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, and all ethnic groups were integrated and friendly. All of this provided a good social environment for the development of calligraphy. In addition, the rulers of the Tang Dynasty promoted calligraphy, and specific regular scripts were introduced in schools, imperial examinations, and official examinations. The requirements and measures of the Tang Dynasty rulers.

The rulers of the Tang Dynasty favored calligraphy, which made officials rush to imitate it. "The thoughts of the rulers are the unifying thoughts in every era. That is to say, A class is the dominant material force in society, and it is also the dominant spiritual force in society" ("Selected Works of Marx and Engels", Volume 1, page 52). From Gaozu and Taizong onwards, Gaozong, Zhongzong, Deaf Zong, Xuanzong, Suzong, Xuanzong, Empress Dou, Empress Wu and other kings were all calligraphy enthusiasts, and most of them were calligraphers at that time. They were mainly good at regular script. According to Zhu Changwen's "Sushu Duan", Taizong's calligraphy was among the best. Gao Zong's calligraphy is rated Nengpin, Shan Zhengshu, Er Xuanzong's calligraphy is Nengpin, Shaoneng Bafen Zhengshu. Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty loved Wang's calligraphy deeply, and was keen on writing. He tried to learn the "ge" method from Yu Shinan, and later concluded that "to be Ge must be Taizong's daughters, Princess Yinchuan and Princess Jinyang, were good at calligraphy and were good at calligraphy. Since the Tang Dynasty, they have been advocating calligraphy. As for their children, they are all good at it, which can be said to be prosperous.

According to "New Tang Dynasty" "Book·Hundred Officials", in the first year of Zhenguan, 24 people who were in the fifth rank or above were ordered to study calligraphy in the official library, and taught them the forbidden Chinese Dharma books. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, people who could calligraphy were recruited for Zhishu and Those who wrote books and wrote imperial books were also designated as direct courtyards by those who had officials in calligraphy, painting, and calligraphy. They set up Hongwen Hall under the door, and also added calligraphy and legal studies. There were six types of schools in the Tang Dynasty: Guozixue, Taixue, etc. Studies, four subjects, law, calligraphy, and arithmetic. Calligraphy seems to be a junior college, with 30 students, 2 Ph.D.s, and 1 teaching assistant. Ma Duanlin said in "Literature General Examination·School Examination" that calligraphy students "Study one piece of paper every two days, study current affairs policies in the meantime, read "Guoyu", "Shuowen", "Zi Lin", "San Cang", "Er Ya" and other common books, and study "Three Types of Stone Classics", The limit is three years old, "Shuowen" is two years old, and "Zi Lin" is one year old." In this kind of calligraphy professional school, students' knowledge and writing skills are very high. According to "Tang Liu Dian", Hongwen Hall is a place where aristocratic children study. , which also recruits students who study calligraphy. The "Analects of Confucius Zheng's Notes" was unearthed in Xinjiang in the fourth year of Tang Jinglong's reign (Zhongzong Li Xian). , It is indeed surprising and admirable! I have received a good education since childhood, laid a good foundation, and succeeded in regular script.

Among the imperial examinations and official selections, the requirements for regular script are more obvious and strict. "The Hanlin Academy of the Tang Dynasty has There were bachelors of calligraphy in Imperial College, doctors of calligraphy in the Imperial College, calligraphy subjects in the imperial examinations, calligraphy in official judgment, and calligraphy as one of the ways to get into the profession, so there were many people in the Tang Dynasty who studied calligraphy." (Fan Wenlan, "General History of China", Volume 4, page 379) At that time, those who passed the Jinshi examination only had the qualification to be an official. To obtain an official position, they had to go through the "selection test" of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The content was four items: body, speech, writing, and judgment. The requirement for "writing" was "Kaifa" "Qiu Mei" ("New Tang Book Selection Chronicle") means that the regular script must be dignified and beautiful without losing the law. Ma Zonghuo's "Shu Lin Zao Jian" says: "The ones with Qiu Mei in regular script are in the middle range, and Nie Yishu's It is also a matter of selecting scholars. "Tongdian" records that "there are scholars in the subjects of Changgong who have Ming Dharma, books, and calculations." The examination of Ming Shu subjects consists of an oral examination first, and then a written examination of "Shuowen" Six Posts and "Zi Lin" 》Four Posts, those who know how to teach and can also do mixed calligraphy will be ranked first. Those who are admitted to the Ming Dynasty and the Jinshi Department must also be good at calligraphy. For example, Liu Zongyuan, Liu Yuxi, and Zi Juyi who were born in the Jinshi are all very good in calligraphy, and they are among the calligraphers. Column. If intellectuals want to be successful and enter officialdom, they must master regular script, which gives regular script a broader soil.

The rulers of the Tang Dynasty also paid special attention to calligraphy talents and reused experts in regular script. The central government of the Tang Dynasty had the position of Shi Shu or Hanlin Shi Shu. Chu Suai was recommended to Taizong by Wei Zheng. Taizong immediately issued an edict to serve as Shi Shu. After Mu Zong came to the throne, he summoned Liu Gongquan and said, "

I saw Qing's handwriting in the Buddhist temple and thought about it for a long time." That day, he paid homage to You Shiyi and became a scholar of Hanlin calligraphy. He moved to You Shilu and was granted the title of Yuanwailang. When Zhong Shaojing was Empress Wu, he "used Gongshu to direct Feng Pavilion". At that time, he cherished regular script. Talents are like this. In "New Book of Tang·Hundred Officials", we can see that many regular script experts were placed in various central departments of the Tang Dynasty, such as 10 people in Chongwen Guan, 25 people in Economic Affairs Bureau, 10 people in Secretary Department, and 50 people in History Museum. , there are 5 people in the book bureau and 2 people in the official education. If you write well in regular script, you may be valued by the rulers and become a high official. Naturally, there will be more people who devote themselves to regular script.

The art of calligraphy and social moral and ethical concepts There is a close connection. The development of regular script is to meet practical needs. In the Tang Dynasty, it became common to use regular script to write inscriptions, epitaphs, praises, appeals, official inscriptions, various inscriptions, etc. With the prosperity of Buddhism, , originated from the writing of scriptures in the Six Dynasties, and became popular in the Tang Dynasty. From the court to the people, there are many masters of writing scriptures. Mr. Fang Jiekan has a poem: "The wise man has read the inner scriptures, and left the ink to treasure the Tang Dynasty. The solemnity shows the wonderful appearance, and the bottom of the pen There are diamonds, two or three thousand flowers, and a piece of paper leaves fragrance." The ink written by Tang Xian on the Sutra is majestic, profound, elegant, and thorough, reflecting the style of the Tang Dynasty. Bao Shichen said that Yan Shu is "like plowing cattle, stable and profitable. "For civilian use." Yan Shu came from the folk, and eventually it was loved by the people and widely used. At that time, Liu Gongquan's words could not be found on the steles and inscriptions of the houses of the public, ministers, and ministers. People thought it was unfilial, and even foreigners considered it unfilial. The barbarians paid tribute, and all had unique goods to buy Liu Shu. The strict Yan style and Liu style came into being in the real life of the Tang Dynasty, which conformed to the aesthetic standards of the Tang Dynasty people, and finally met the needs of the Tang Dynasty's social life.

It can be seen that under the promotion of the rulers, regular script occupied a very important position in the social and cultural life of the Tang Dynasty. With the unprecedented expansion of the scope of use and people's endless pursuit of art, the unity of art and practicality, the unity of theory and practice , unexpectedly. Mao Zedong pointed out: "Art for the sake of art, art that transcends classes, art that is parallel to or independent of politics, actually does not exist." Regular script in the Tang Dynasty, full of flowers, diverse schools, and brilliant achievements , This is the unified crystallization of objective factors and subjective efforts of calligraphers.

On the subjective side, regular calligraphers of the Tang Dynasty not only valued inheriting traditional experience, but more importantly, they relied on long-term and arduous experience and practice. In the early Tang Dynasty, Ou, Yu, Chu, Xue, and Lu were all involved in overlapping tracks, but they were all still upright and healthy. They learned from the king but mixed with their own ideas, inherited the king's book and developed and innovated, each with their own characteristics. Appearance. Li Beihai, Yan Lugong, Su Lingzhi, etc. in the middle and prosperous Tang Dynasty were all fat, and their innovative achievements were higher than those in the early Tang Dynasty. In the late middle and Tang Dynasty, Liu Gongquan and Shen Chuanshi focused on thinness and tallness, trying to correct the defects of the fatness in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, and also It embodies a certain spirit of innovation. In this great era, regular script masters emerged in large numbers and became the master of later generations. There are many masterpieces in regular script, with many categories, strict laws, and short, long, fat, and thin styles. In the reign of Guangxu, Yang Shoujing of the Qing Dynasty compiled " "Tracing the Origin of Regular Script" is a book that collects the elites of regular script in the past dynasties. It collects 45 types of calligraphy from the Wei to the Sui Dynasty, 35 types from the Tang Dynasty and 1 type from the Five Dynasties. It collects 292 types of steles from the Han to the Sui Dynasty. There were as many as 346 species in the Tang Dynasty, and 8 species in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. In the nearly three hundred years of the Tang Dynasty, there were Ouyang Xun, Yu Shinan, Chu Suiliang, Lu Jianzhi, Xue Ji, Xue Yao in the early Tang Dynasty, and Li in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. Yong, Yan Zhenqing, Xu Hao, Liu Gongquan, Shen Chuanshi and other masters of regular calligraphy in the late Tang Dynasty. Among them, Ou, Yu, Chu, Yan and Liu were the most accomplished. Ou, Yan, Liu and Zhao Mengjia of the Yuan Dynasty were the four major regular calligraphers in China.

Ouyang Xun has been extremely perceptive since he was a child. He has extensive experience in the world. His calligraphy has been quite famous in the Sui Dynasty. His calligraphy passed down by Chixu has been regarded as the law and his fame has spread overseas. He is very diligent in studying calligraphy and has tasted it. Traveling with Shinan, I saw the stele written by Suo Jing and looked at it. After going several miles and returning, I had to leave in three days. I admired Youjun's "Zhijiu Tu" for a long time. I was so happy that I couldn't sleep. I was casting Han Li and Jin and Wei regular scripts. At the same time, he combined the characteristics of the six dynasties with the inscriptions of the six dynasties, absorbed the strengths of various schools, and integrated them to create the face of his own family, which is known as "European Style" in the world. View his representative works "Jiucheng Palace", "Huadu Temple", "Yu Gonggong", "Huangfu's Birthday" 》The steles, with pen

He is fierce and dangerous, his laws are strict, he is distinguished from the ordinary, and he has the style of enforcing the law at the expense of the court. He can be said to be "one who stands out from the crowd, and is definitely not one who just follows the crowd" (Ming Xiang Mu said).

Yu Shinan studied calligraphy at a young age in Salmon Zhiyong. He was calm and devoid of desire, and he was determined to study hard. He and his brother Shiji received an education from Gu Yewang. After more than ten years, he was not tired of it. He studied calligraphy very diligently, and would draw his belly to write calligraphy while lying down at night. , so it was especially wonderful in his later years. He had a strong character and upright opinions. Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty valued his talents and often discussed classics and history in his spare time. Whenever he talked about the gains and losses of the ancient emperors, he would ridicule Taizong. Taizong said that he had five qualities: virtue, He is loyal, upright, erudite, literary, and calligrapher. He compiled "Beitang Shuchao" and his representative works "Confucius Temple Stele" and so on. He is strict in law, soft on the outside and strong on the inside, free and easy on the outside, gentle and round, and is regarded as a model for future generations.

In the development of regular script in the Tang Dynasty, Ou and Yu were the representatives in the early stage, basically inheriting and summarizing the calligraphy of the Sui Dynasty. Ou and Yu were both from Chen and Sui. They were over sixty when they entered the Tang Dynasty and had already started a calligraphy family. , which was considered to be the highest level in the Sui Dynasty. After entering the Tang Dynasty, they gave full play to their strengths, constantly summarized and improved, and opened up the scale of Tang regular script. Their regular script was completely mature in structure, and the standard of regular script they formed never exceeded its limits in later generations. .

The Tang Kai script, represented by Chu Shu, was the bridge between Ou, Yu, Yan and Liu. Chu Suiliang inherited and carried forward the highest achievements of Sui Dynasty calligraphy, and was also the representative of Tang Dynasty calligraphy. The originator of the innovation of regular script. Chu Suiliang was born in an influential and famous family. His family was well-off. He was involved in literature and history when he was young. He studied Gongli, Kai, Xueshi (Ling), Ou, and Yu. He later adopted the two kings of Fa and merged Hanli. After the death of Yu Shinan, Wei Zheng knew Chu Zhongzhi and recommended it to Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, saying, "Chu Suiliang's vigorous writing is worthy of Wang Yi Shao's style." Emperor Taizong immediately issued an order to serve as a calligrapher to identify the authenticity of the writings of the two kings of the Imperial Palace. There is nothing wrong with what was said in the discussion. The previous and later admonitions were combined with dozens of books by Chen Bianyi, and most of them were adopted. The representative work "The Preface to the Sacred Teachings of the Wild Goose Pagoda" reflects the artistic achievements of Chu Shu. Liu Xizai of the Qing Dynasty said that Chu Shu was the "shu of the Tang Dynasty" Mr. Shen Yinmo said that Chu was able to innovate and establish new norms in the Tang Dynasty. When it was passed to Yan Zhenqing, it opened up a new avenue in the history of calligraphy.

Yan Zhenqing was the greatest calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty and was the founder of Langya Yan. A descendant of this family, his family was well-educated. He was poor when he was young and lacked paper and pen, so he would sweep the walls with loess to study calligraphy. He was erudite in Gongci and Chapters. He established his court with integrity, was strong and courteous. He was honest, kind and upright, with a sense of justice. He was famous for his righteousness and righteousness. At that time, he was outspoken in admonishing and not afraid of power. He was loyal to the emperor, patriotic, and actively safeguarded the unity of the country. Later generations compiled the "Collected Works of Yan Lugong". There are many handed down writings, such as "Duobao Pagoda", "Qinzha Stele", "Magu" ", "Yanjia Temple Stele" and "Gao Shen" ink ink, etc. Yan Zhenqing was good at learning from the ancients. He was familiar with the books of Erwang, Yu, Chu, Zhang Xu, Li (Yong) and so on. He also learned from the (folk) people at that time. It absorbed certain nutrients from calligraphy, and was spiritually influenced by folk calligraphers who dared to innovate. With their creative practice, they summarized and improved mass creative achievements. Together with Du Fu and Han Yu, they innovated the styles of Jin, Song, and Song Dynasties in different fields. The aristocratic culture that has been subordinate to the clan system since the Qi and Liang Dynasties has reached a broad and profound level. For the southern calligraphy represented by the two kings that dominated the calligraphy world after the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Yan calligraphy has great advantages in brushwork, structure, and layout. There were huge breakthroughs and innovations in all aspects of calligraphy and ink painting, which completely changed the thin, tough and majestic calligraphy style and created a new generation of thick and majestic calligraphy style. Wei and Jin calligraphy had high achievements, but it was no longer up to the standards of the Tang Dynasty. It is not suitable for the broad atmosphere and spirit of the times of the Tang Dynasty. "I caught the Duke of Lu, adopted the new ideas, and created new methods out of the ancient ideas. I molded the previous images and concealed the strengths of others... Thus it became a book of the Tang Dynasty" ( Ma Zonghuo's "Shu Lin Zao Jian"). Su Dongpo's poem says: Yan Gong's reform brought out new ideas, and the thin tendons penetrated into the bones like an autumn eagle. Yan Zhenqing, who was able to concentrate and improve the results of folk innovation at that time, is worthy of being the most accomplished reform in the history of ancient Chinese calligraphy. Everyone, the book is like the person. The boldness of Yan Gong's reform is consistent with the dignified and inviolable style formed after the reform. The ancient and strict Yan Xiu is the same as Yan Gong's personality: upright, loyal, simple, stubborn, and stronger than soft. , with inner beauty overflowing, unique characteristics, personality, and the atmosphere of the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

The late middle and late Tang Dynasty

Liu Gongquan, who studied facial expressions and added strength and richness, became a family of his own. He first learned Wang Shu and read all over modern brushwork. Mu Zong asked about the method of using the brush. He said, "Use the brush to the heart, and the heart will be upright to save the right." "Mysterious Pagoda Stele" and "Shence Army Stele" are pioneering in their rigor, sharp in their roundness and thickness, which are the patriarchal traditions of later generations. We often say that Yan Jin Liu Gu is the different calligraphy characteristics of Yan and Liu. The character "Liu" Abandoning the fatness of the vertical strokes of Yan, he wrote both horizontal and vertical strokes evenly and thinly. He also absorbed the advantages of the square strokes in Beibei. He wrote crisply and sharply, and also absorbed the closeness of Ou and Yu and the vertical posture of Yan, creating a unique style. The calligraphers of the late Tang Dynasty, such as Liu Gongquan and Shen Chuanshi, worked hard to make progress from the narrow area of ????Shou Ting. , opened up a new path different from Lu Gong, and his innovative courage and spirit are particularly commendable. Yan style and Liu style reflect the achievements of regular script in the Tang Dynasty, and are also the final stage of maturity of regular script in the Tang Dynasty. When Yan and Liu came out, several It will become an unchangeable method for future generations.