Tang Dynasty
Born in Hengzhou (now Hengyang) in 557 AD, his ancestral home is Linxiang, Tanzhou (now Changsha, Hunan). Ouyang Xun's grandfather Ouyang Ban (498-563) He was once the general of Nanliang Zhige, and his father Ouyang He served as the governor of Guangzhou in Nanchen and the general of Zuowei. He was killed because he failed to raise troops to rebel against Chen, and his family was implicated. Ouyang Xun survived because he was young and was adopted by his father's friend. Ouyang Xun Xun was smart and diligent in learning, dabbled in classics and history, and had a strong memory of knowledge. During the Sui Dynasty, Ouyang Xun was an official to Dr. Taichang. Because of his good relationship with Li Yuan, during the prosperous period of the Tang Dynasty, he was promoted to the official position of Yinqing Guanglu, and the prince led the order. , a bachelor of Hongwenguan, a male from Bohai County, also known as "Ouyang Ledeng". Together with three other people of the same generation (Yu Shinan, Chu Suiliang, and Xue Ji), they were also called the Four Great Masters of the Early Tang Dynasty. Because his son Ouyang Tong was also good at calligraphy. , so he is also called "Da Ou". Ouyang Xun's regular script is rigorous and his writing power is unparalleled in the world. He is called the first regular script in the Tang Dynasty. He and Yu Shinan were both famous for their calligraphy in the early Tang Dynasty, and they were both known as "Ou Yu". ", later generations found his book to be extremely dangerous in the ordinary, and it was the easiest for beginners to learn, so he named it "European style". Many people commented on his writing. Ouyang Xun was smart and studious, and he read a lot of books. He read extensively about ancient and modern times when he was young. He was proficient in the three histories of "Historical Records", "Hanshu" and "Dongguan Hanji". He was especially good at calligraphy, almost to the point of obsession. It is said that one time Ouyang Xun went out on horseback and accidentally saw Suo Jing, a famous calligrapher of the Jin Dynasty, by the roadside. He sat on his horse and watched carefully for a while before leaving. But after walking a few steps, he couldn't help but come back to watch it. 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. In the end, he sat and lay next to the monument for three consecutive days before leaving. Ouyang Xun first imitated Wang Xizhi in practicing calligraphy, and then found his own way. In particular, his regular script was strong and strong, and his rules were strict. He was regarded as a model by later generations of calligraphers, and he was known as the "European style". It is said to have been handed down from generation to generation. "Shu Duan", a calligraphy appraisal work of the Tang Dynasty, said: "The eight forms of inquiry are as powerful as the writing, and the writing is powerful and dangerous. The seal type is especially exquisite, with flying white crowns, superior to the ancients, disturbing the image of dragons and snakes fighting, and the force of clouds and mist. A few whirls of thunder stirred, and the maneuvers were like gods. The book of Zhenxing came from Tai Ling and was integrated into one body. It was as dense as a spear and halberd in an arsenal. The wind god was stricter than Zhiyong and less polished than Yu Shinan. His cursive script circulated repeatedly, and he was regarded as the second king. , can be used as a moving color; but when startled, he jumps into a horse, does not avoid danger, and hurts the Qing Dynasty." "Xuanhe Shupu" of the Song Dynasty praised his regular script as "the crown of calligraphy and 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 the Chidu script written by him. Once they get it, they regard it as a treasure and use it as a model for their own calligraphy. During the reign of Tang Wude (618-624), Goryeo (now Korea) ) specially sent an envoy to Chang'an to obtain Ouyang Xun's calligraphy. Tang Gaozu Li Yuan sighed and said: "I didn't expect that Ouyang Xun's reputation was so great that even the barbarians from far away knew about it. When they saw Ouyang Xun's handwriting, they must have thought that he was a famous scholar. Describe a tall and burly figure." Ouyang Xun died in the Zhenguan period (626-649) 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 inscription "Jiucheng Palace" "Li Quan Ming", "Huangfu's Birthday Stele", etc., are all treasures of calligraphy art. Later generations will call him "the four great calligraphers of the early Tang Dynasty" together with Yu Shinan, Chu Suiliang and Xue Ji in the early Tang Dynasty. Ouyang Xun is not only a calligrapher of his generation Everyone, and a calligraphy theorist, has summed up eight methods for practicing calligraphy in his long-term calligraphy practice, namely: "Like a falling stone from a peak, like a crescent moon in the sky, like a formation of clouds thousands of miles away, like a long-lived calligraphy." Withered vines are like an overturned pine tree, like a hanging stone cliff, like the hair of a crossbow, like a sharp sword cutting off a rhinoceros horn, or like a wave of brush strokes." "Eight Secrets", "Thirty-six Methods", etc. are summaries of his own experience in learning calligraphy. They summarized the formal skills and aesthetic requirements of calligraphy such as calligraphy brushes, structure, and composition in a more specific way. They are precious heritage of our country's calligraphy theory. .