First, Ou Yangxun's life.
Ou Yangxun was born in Linxiang, Tanzhou (now Changsha, Hunan). Born in the first year of Yongding, Chen Wudi, he was born in the fifteenth year of Zhenguan of Emperor Taizong (May-4, 571June, 2008) and died at the age of eighty-five. He is a great calligrapher who has gone through three generations from Chen to Tang. Ou Yangxun was an official of Doctor Taichang in Sui Dynasty, and his calligraphy was very famous. He has been "handed down by letters and thinks it is the law". Tang Gaozu Tang Gaozu was his friend before he became emperor. Later, after Tang Gaozu ascended the throne and became emperor, he became an official in a certain field. Later, he was appointed a prince and a doctor. Therefore, some people call him "Ouyang Lvgeng". When Emperor Taizong established the Hong Wen Pavilion, he selected students to study calligraphy. He and Yu Shinan are first-class calligraphers and teach calligraphy. Later named Bohai South.
Ou Yangxun was brilliant since he was a child, and he was even more "familiar with history, especially three histories". He has co-written 100 volumes of Literature and Art with Pei Ju and others. When he was young, his calligraphy was mainly directed by general manager Jiang. Jiang has always been a writer in the Southern Dynasties, and the Book of Xuanhe called him "a man who behaves like a grass, and is named after his ci." The calligraphy style in the Southern Dynasties advocated Wang Xizhi, and General Manager Jiang was good at cursive writing, so he should take Wang Xizhi as his ancestor. It is conceivable that Ou Yangxun's calligraphy was influenced by Wang Xizhi in his early years.
After entering the Sui Dynasty, influenced by the northern calligraphy style of the Sui Dynasty, Ou Yangxun's books changed.
Journey to the south changes in culture and calligraphy style. In time, Emperor Wendi of the Sui Dynasty destroyed Chen in 589 (the ninth year of Emperor Kai of the Sui Dynasty), when he was only 33 years old. At the age of 62, he destroyed the Sui of the Tang Dynasty and lived in the Sui Dynasty for 30 years. Sui Shu mainly inherited the characteristics of calligraphy in the Northern Qi Dynasty and the Northern Zhou Dynasty. We can see that there are many similarities between Ou Yangxun's calligraphy and the inscriptions in Sui Dynasty. From the age of thirty-three to sixty-two, Ou Yangxun's calligraphy should be a period of great achievements, and it should be a period of compatibility with the North-South calligraphy style, learning from others and maturing. From the analysis of the characteristics of Ou Yangxun's calligraphy pen, it is obvious that the Northern Wei Dynasty to the Northern Zhou Dynasty was influenced by the northern calligraphy style. And its artistic conception of "showing bones and clearing faces" retains the artistic elements of southern calligraphy.
Ou Yangxun's calligraphy not only has the characteristics of regular script in Han Li and Wei and Jin Dynasties, but also draws lessons from Wang Xizhi's calligraphy.
Because of its essence and exquisite, it is called "European style" in the world. Ou Yangxun and Yu Shinan were the most famous calligraphers in the early Tang Dynasty. Zhang Huaiguan said in the Book End: "The more dangerous it is, the better, especially the seal style. Flying from the crown is superior to the ancients. "The True Classics" has made a big order and is another integration. As dense as an armory spear and halberd, Fengshen is stricter than wisdom and courage, and it is not as polished as Shinan. Its cursive script has been circulated repeatedly and can be regarded as two kings. " Therefore, Ou Yangxun not only takes regular script as his most important work, but also has various skills. Ou Yangxun's Biography of the Tang Dynasty also said: "Ask Wang Xizhi, a beginner, and then gradually change his brushwork, which is dangerous and energetic." The book review in the Tang Dynasty said that the European style book "if the grass scares the snake, the cloud will send electricity." Another example is that King Kong closes his eyes, and Tuas punches. "Ou Yangxun's calligraphy had a great influence at that time. It was not only widely praised at home, but also famous abroad. King Koryo loved his calligraphy so much that he sent messengers to ask him for it. Tang Gaozu sighed, "A title that you don't intend to inquire about will spread far and far. ".
Second, the origin of Ou Yangxun's calligraphy.
Ou Yangxun's early calligraphy originated from Wang Xizhi. "Biography of the Tang Dynasty in Ou Yangxun" said: "After consulting Wang Xizhi, I gradually changed my style of writing and my brushwork was dangerous." After entering the Sui Dynasty, influenced by the calligraphy style of the Northern School, it changed all the way. Europeans call it "spear halberd". This is a sharp description of his brushwork, and his image shows that Ou Yangxun's calligraphy is deeply influenced by the northern school calligraphy. According to legend, in the Northern Qi Dynasty, Ou Yangxun studied calligraphy with Liu Min (see Notes on Books by Tang Dynasty and Dou Meng). His strict brushwork is a recollection of the northern calligraphy style. In Ou Yangxun's regular script works, the writing forms and strokes of regular script are strikingly similar to the common regular script in Weibei. No matter from the posture or style, even from the pen and brush strokes, it has the charm of Wei Bei to varying degrees. Please look at Epitaph of a Black Woman, Monument to Zhang Menglong and Stone Statue. We can clearly see that this calligraphy style is in the same strain as the new writing. With regard to the influence of the calligraphy styles of Liang, Chen and Sui, we can see the great influence of Liang Qi's calligraphy from the Epitaph of Liang Guiyang's Muzhaofei and the Epitaph of Liu Dai. By comparing the Epitaph of Longzang Temple and the Epitaph of Sui Dong with European calligraphy, we can see the blood relationship between them.
The face of European-style calligraphy, which combines the styles of North and South schools, also reflects a calligraphy phenomenon in the process of Chinese character shape change, that is, the official script stage is coming to an end and the regular script enters the mature and stereotyped stage. Judging from the inscriptions on regular script we see now, the truly mature regular script was formally formed in the early Tang Dynasty and gradually developed to the extreme. It is in this period that Ou Yangxun's regular script shines brilliantly! It also had a far-reaching impact on the development of calligraphy in later generations.
It is worth mentioning that Ou Yangxun's son Ouyang Tong is a family heirloom. His father and son are both world famous works, and his work "Taoist Monument" has a stronger sense of propriety and is more revealing. It is said that Ouyang Tong is a family heirloom. It is an achievement to invest heavily in his father's ink and devote himself to research.
Among those who learn Ou Yangxun's regular script, Liu Gongquan should learn it better. Liu Gongquan's regular script is influenced by Yan Zhenqing's regular script, but the structure of regular script is mainly due to Ou Yangxun.
Later generations were greatly influenced by Ou Yangxun, including Lin Pei's Monument to Master Guifeng, Ouyang Tong's Monument to Master Daoyin, Chu Suiliang's Monument to Master Meng, Yang Ningshi, Mi Fei, Zhang Ruitu and Weng Fanggang. Zhang Ruitu's early running script is obviously close to Ou Yangxun's brushwork. Weng Fanggang, a biography of Hu Hai's poems, said: "Yan Pinghou, a beginner in calligraphy, is more likely to learn from Ouyang." Judging from the regular script works handed down from generation to generation, Ou Yangxun's strict statutes have been preserved.
Ou Yangxun paid special attention to the structural potential of Chinese characters, carefully studied the avoidance interspersed between pen and ink, and the arrangement of inking was unique. Ou Yangxun's Thirty-six Grammar of Structure handed down by later generations is the law of structure characters summarized from his regular script.
It is worth mentioning that European calligraphy has strict rules and a smooth and correct structure. In the later imperial examinations, the writing method was based on European style. Most people only want neat modeling, not vivid charm, and the more they write, the more rigid they become. Finally, they write in a lifeless and dull "pavilion style". Just like today's artistic characters and imitation Song-style characters, they are inferior in calligraphy art.
Third, Ou Yangxun Monument handed down from ancient times and its style.
Ou Yangxun is a great calligrapher who tried his best. We can see Ou Yangxun's achievements in calligraphy from his calligraphy, history books and calligraphers' comments.
Ou Yangxun's seal script was uploaded by Zhang Huaiguan in Shu Duan in the Tang Dynasty: "Seal script is especially refined". According to legend, the seal number of the inscription in Jiucheng Palace was also written by Ou Yangxun, with few figures, which really has ancient meaning and extraordinary weather.
According to records, there is a tablet of Jiutong Lishu, but now there are only two tablets of Tang Zongsheng's Xianlu and Fangbei.
"Fang Bei" was carved in March of the fifth year of Zhenguan, and was made at the age of 75. The monument is in Qiu County, Shandong Province. This inscription is solemn and steep, showing a writing style that seems to be a mixture of official script and regular script. From this stone tablet, we can see how Ou Yangxun developed the traditional Weibei technique and transformed it into the European regular script we see now.
Ou Yangxun's calligraphy style is most famous for regular script. Now we can see:
"Huangfushengchen Monument" was carved in Zhenguan period. The monument is in Xi 'an, Shaanxi, and Huangfu's birthday is in Sui Dynasty. This monument was built by his son during the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty, and it was Ou Yangxun's work after 70 years old. Wang Shizhen said: "Compared with other monuments, Huangfuyun Monument is more dangerous and energetic, which originated from Yi's Lantai. However, Lantai Road is based on the monument, and the pen is approved (transferred to the law), so it is also learned from home. " According to his son Ouyang Tong's "Guanlan Taro", the word "Tao", such as "Tu" and "Mo", is wavy under it, which is simply the brushwork of official script. In Shu Yan, Yang Shoujing thought: "The Huangfushou tablet in the European book is the most dangerous, and Zhang Huaiguan called it the spear halberd in the armory, so it is." The inscription on the tablet body is exposed and its shape is slender, which is steeper than other inscriptions written by Ou Yangxun.
The Monument to the Forever Zen Master in Huadu Temple was engraved in the fifth year of Zhenguan in Tang Dynasty. This monument was originally located in a Buddhist temple in Zhong Nanshan, Chang 'an, Shaanxi. The original stone rubbings in Song Dynasty are very rare, and most of them are reprinted. Xuanhe Pu Shu said: "The calligraphy of stone carvings in Huadu Temple is very important to the world, and scholars can only do their best." Jiang Kui, a calligrapher in the Southern Song Dynasty, praised: "A degree wins all chess, and a parallel is a strange product." After the Song Dynasty, calligraphers such as Zhao Mengfu, Kang Lizi Mountain and Li Dongyang, as well as Wang and Weng Fanggang in the Qing Dynasty all agreed with him. Speak highly of this monument. This tablet is exquisite in calligraphy, unique in charm, pure and subtle, and has a superb outline, which forgives the strange rules of the gods. Unfortunately, the words are a little small, and most of the rubbings are vague and not suitable for beginners.
The inscription of the ritual spring in Jiucheng Palace was written by Wei Zheng and by Ou Yangxun in the sixth year of Zhenguan in Tang Dynasty. Inscription records that Emperor Taizong discovered Yongquan during his summer vacation in Jiucheng Palace, which is a masterpiece of Ou Yangxun in his later years and has always been respected by scholars. The calligraphy of this tablet is vigorous, vigorous, medium-sized, smooth and elegant, with exquisite stippling, precise posture and colorful weather, which is the highest in Tang Kai. Have a great influence on future generations. Compared with other stone tablets in Ou Yangxun, this stone tablet is more open and can be grasped. Turning a corner will push the front, and the writing will be square and round, which is a legacy of "Huang Tingjing" and "Le Yi Lun". Since ancient times, there has been an evaluation of the "extreme principle of modeling". The rubbings of the Northern Song Dynasty printed by the Palace Museum are rich in pen and ink, and the front is as good as new, which can be regarded as a rare rare book. Scholars often use this as a model.
The Monument to the Yugong Gong Wenyan was written by Ou Yangxun at the age of eighty-one. The monument is in Liquan County, Shaanxi Province. This is the latest inscription written by Ou Yangxun. The figures in this monument are smaller than other monuments, and the structural pen is more plain, accurate and very cute. It's just too much residue. The whole monument is about 2800 words, and now there are only 800 words left.
Other inscriptions in regular script include Nine Songs, Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra, and Small Letters with Thousand Characters. The original tablet has been lost, leaving only the reprint or double hook version.
Ou Yangxun's cursive works include Shang Bo Tie, Hans Zhang Tie, Meng Dian Tie, Qian Zi Wen and Ding Wu Lan Ting. There are only six lines left in Shang Bo Tie, with 50 words. Calligraphy is multi-point painting, the essence is restrained, the font structure is slightly to the right, and Wang Xizhi's statutes are often used. "Hans Zhang Tie" has eleven lines and 98 words, written on white linen paper. Song Huizong wrote: "The rate of Emperor Taizi made Ou Yangxun's Hanshu Zhangtie more dangerous and fierce." Dean's Tie Dream has nine lines and seventy-eight characters. Calligraphy is vigorous and fierce, "like a halberd in an armory." The calligraphy of "Thousands of Characters in Running Script" is full of momentum, with moderate density and free turning. Dingwu Lanting is an engraving of Preface to Lanting handed down by Wang Xizhi of Ou Yangxun, with simple and honest calligraphy. It is the best of many Prefaces to Lanting.
Fourth, ancient calligraphers' comments on European books.
As a great calligrapher in the early Tang Dynasty, Ou Yangxun had many discussions and comments on the characteristics of his calligraphy.
People in the Tang Dynasty commented: "Ou Yangxun's books are like snakes in the grass, and there is electricity in the clouds, such as King Kong's angry eyes and Lux Boxing." It is to explore the flying strength of European books from the artistic conception.
Cen Zongdan said: "If you ask for correction, it is like a temple suit, but it does not move." See its mellow, elegant and dynamic state.
Zhao Mengfu said: "The letter book is refreshing and healthy, one person in ancient and modern times."
Zhang Huaiguan's "Broken Book" says ... this pen is both strong and dangerous ... like a dragon and snake fighting, the clouds are light and thick, and the wind whirls like a god ... like a spear and halberd in an armory, the wind is stricter than wisdom and the polish is not as good as that in the south of the city. "
Mo Yun Qingyun said, "European original calligraphers are exquisite and indestructible, and the stippling is exquisite and elegant."
Precision. "
Zhu Yun's inscription said: "The rate is soft inside, the spirit is bright outside, the beauty is beautiful and the charm is unique. Since the right army came, no one has a better rate. " Just grasp the visual features of Ou Yangxun's calligraphy.
Chongjing, a Japanese in Fujian, said: "His own calligraphy, especially regular script, can't be said to be of the North School or the South School, but he completely replaced the old shelf structure method with his own things, which greatly simplified the brushwork and included personal feelings, thus having the general characteristics similar to seal script."
Ou Yangxun's cursive script has been highly praised by calligraphers:
"Broken Book" says: "Its cursive script has been circulated repeatedly, and it is amazing to see him as the second king.
Jun, don't avoid danger. "
Mi Fei, who is quite critical of books, also said to his cursive script: "Go your own way, if Zhuang is against Yue, if Jun is a jumper." "The cursive script for the coming year is wonderful and moving."
Guo Tianxi said: "His Dream of Dean's Tie is bold and incisive, as dense as an armory, and it is the first book in Europe in the world."
Fifthly, look at the artistic features of Ou Yangxun's calligraphy from Li Quanming in Jiucheng Palace.
The artistic features of Ou Yangxun's calligraphy have been criticized by many book critics. Based on the most representative work of Ou Yangxun's regular script, Jiuchenggong Liquan Ming, this paper analyzes the artistic characteristics of Ou Yangxun's regular script.
The regular script of Jiuchenggong tablet is a very mature work of Ou Yangxun's calligraphy in various stages of development. Fujian, a Japanese calligrapher, reveres that "the calligraphy level on this tablet should be the ideal realm of Ou Yangxun's calligraphy". Understanding the artistic features of Ou Yangxun's regular script from Jiucheng Palace should be the most ideal way. To understand the artistic characteristics of Jiuchenggong calligraphy, we can analyze the historical era and writing characteristics of Jiuchenggong.
1, connecting the past and the future.
Jiuchenggong tablet can be said to be an epoch-making masterpiece in the early Tang Dynasty. In terms of style composition, there are both seal script and official brushwork, as well as the legacy of Jin and Wei dynasties. Its appearance had a great influence on the development of regular script in later generations. As can be seen from the calligraphy of Jiuchenggong, many words are directly taken from the brushwork of Zhuanli. In terms of brushwork and flavor, it is deeply influenced by the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi. There are many ways to write "Ya" in the tablet, which directly inherits the writing method of official script. For example, "Ye", "Guan" and "Jiu" are more like the word "Hai", which obviously has the characteristics of writing the word "Hai" in The Book, but the middle one is written as a vertical hook. Another example is the writing of the right half of "Xiang", which directly copied the structure of official script. In addition, we can see that it directly inherited the brushwork structure of the Six Dynasties and the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, such as Zhang Menglong, Longmen Statue, and Zhang Mo's female epitaph. Some words in the tablet, such as "Feng", "Yuan", "Fu" and "Wu", obviously have the shadow of the above inscription.
2. Special pen type with square band
In calligraphy creation, the so-called "Fang Bi" and "round pen" refer to the processing form of the shape at the beginning, end and turning point of each pen. The shape of the ball is square, and the angle of the shuttle at the corner is clearly called "Fang Bi". The most typical monument in Weibei is the Longmen statue. Round, thick and thin strokes are called "round pens". In Wei Bei, steles and Cui steles are typical, especially the Yanjiamiao stele and stele in Yan Zhenqing in Tang Dynasty. The brushwork of Jiuchenggong is between squares, sometimes with Fang Bi, sometimes with a round pen, sometimes with a circle in the square, and sometimes with a square. When using Fang Bi, the pen is strong, crisp and neat, and when using a round pen, it is dignified, gorgeous and mellow. For example, the characters such as "Wu", "Qing" and "Dan" are the main characters, while the characters such as "Ying", "Chi" and "Liu" are mainly round pens, and more characters are both, or square and round, such as "pen". The upper part of the pen is round and subtle, and the lower part is square and decisive. On the left of the word "Note" is Fang Bi, and on the right of the word "Note" is a round pen, which is harmonious and exquisite. Fang Bi and the round pen complement each other, which is a major feature of Ou Yangxun's calligraphy pen in Jiuchenggong.
3. Structural collocation is fair and dangerous.
Jiucheng Palace is a monument written for honor. As an inscription written by the royal family, it is conceivable that neat composition and plain structure are its most basic requirements. When I opened the rubbings of Jiucheng Palace, my first impression was so fair and mellow. From an artistic point of view, it is not enough to be neat and smooth. In order to make the written words give people fresh aesthetic feeling and rich connotation, it is necessary to work hard on the structural layout and make a new anatomy and combination of each stroke and component of the words. Ou Yangxun, like everyone else, can constantly explore the ideal realm in neatness and stability. It can be seen from Jiuchenggong that Ou Yangxun has made many bold and successful attempts in this respect. While being neat and upright, he is not satisfied with being horizontal and vertical, but strives to live from danger and seek danger from it. The organic unity and combination of the contradiction between dynamic and static has produced a higher level of justice effect, which is precisely the embodiment of the unique and lofty artistic realm of Ou Yangxun's regular script. In Jiuchenggong, we can find that many words deliberately exaggerate one stroke in structure to control the size of words, such as the strokes of "one" and "one" in "Wu" and "Da", while compressing the rest of the structure, forming a strong spatial contrast. Some words are deliberately compressed or even slightly tilted to the left, while the main pen exaggerates and drags to the right, the center of gravity tilts to the left, and the main pen stretches to the right to echo the rescue, thus creating a balanced situation. Break the general practice of paying attention to rights, balance visual habits, have a stable structure and fresh forms, such as "past", "longevity", "abundance" and "China". This kind of knot handling is rare in the history of opening and running scripts. Generally speaking, visual habits can only be balanced when the feeling on the right side is heavier than that on the left. Therefore, whether it is seal script, official script, regular script or cursive script, the right part of the word has always been slightly higher or heavier to maintain the visual balance of the word. Ou Yangxun's handling method is indeed an artistic means to create and break risks.
Conclusion of intransitive verbs
As a generation of calligraphy masters, our calligraphy art played a historical role in connecting the past and the future at that time, and played a coordinating role in the maturity of books. As far as the works are concerned, they certainly have richer spiritual connotations. The above authors mainly focus on brushwork and structure. As for the study of its spiritual connotation, many genera can only understand it and it is difficult to express it. Despite their efforts, they are often abstract in expression. Even the words of the sages mentioned earlier, there are inevitably many absent-minded feelings. Therefore, the exploration of art has to be carried out within the scope of visual perception, that is, from the aspect of calligraphy, and this aspect has to extend to the topic of teaching, which is beyond the capacity of this small space. With the author's understanding of European calligraphy, there are naturally many shortcomings. If it can become a lucky brick, it is not wasted.
The article was published in Guangdong Literature and Art Series.