Ouyang Xun (557~641), Han nationality, courtesy name Xinben, was born in Linxiang, Tanzhou (now Changsha, Hunan).
Ouyang Xun is one of the four masters of regular script (Ouyang Xun, Yan Zhenqing, Liu Gongquan, and Zhao Mengfu). Dr. Taichang, an official in the Sui Dynasty, was granted the title of Prince Shugengling in the Tang Dynasty, also known as "Ouyang Shugeng".
Together with three others of the same generation (Yu Shinan, Chu Suiliang, and Xue Ji), they are also known as the Four Great Masters of the Early Tang Dynasty. Because his son Ouyang Tong was also good at calligraphy, he was also called "Da Ou". Ouyang Xun's regular script is unparalleled in the world for its rigorous standard and powerful writing skills. He is said to be the best regular script among the Tang Dynasty people. Both he and Yu Shinan were famous for their calligraphy in the early Tang Dynasty, and they were both called "European Yu". Later generations saw that their calligraphy was extremely dangerous in the ordinary, and was the easiest for beginners to learn, so they called it "European style".
Ouyang Xun is smart and studious, and has read a lot of books. He has read extensively about ancient and modern times when he was young. He is proficient in the three histories of "Historical Records", "Hanshu" and "Dongguan Hanji". He is especially good at calligraphy and has almost reached the level of calligraphy. Level 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 repeat it. After pondering over it, I ended up sitting and lying next to the monument for three days before leaving.
Ouyang Xun’s main achievements
1. Responding to the call to compile books
In the fifth year of Gaozu Wude (622 AD), Ouyang Xun responded to the imperial edict and co-presided over the compilation of " Art and Literature Collection". It took seven years for the book to be completed, and I wrote the preface. The whole book consists of 100 volumes and is divided into 48 parts. This book cites more than 1,400 ancient books, most of which were later lost. Many important contents of these books have been preserved in Yiwen Leiju.
2. Achievements in calligraphy
Ouyang Xun is not only a master of calligraphy, but also a calligraphy theorist. In his long-term calligraphy practice, he summed up eight methods for practicing calligraphy. Ouyang Xun's "Teaching Secrets", "On the Use of Brushwork", "Eight Secrets" and "Thirty-six Methods" are all summaries of his own experience in learning calligraphy. They summarized the writing brushes, structure, composition and other forms of calligraphy in a more specific way. The technical and aesthetic requirements are the precious heritage of Chinese calligraphy theory.