Li Yangbing
(date of birth and death unknown), philologist and calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty. His courtesy name was Shaowen, a native of Zhao County (which governs present-day Zhao County, Hebei Province). For Li Bai's uncle. In the first year of Baoying's reign, he was ordered by Dang Tu, and Bai Guoyi followed it. He also wrote a preface to Bai's collection of poems. He was a bachelor of Jixian Academy and later became a Shaojian, known as Lijian. Li Yangbing edited and prefaced Li Bai's collection of poems "Thatched Cottage Collection". Li Yangbing was famous for his seal script in the Tang Dynasty. He was a master of small seal script, round, pure, thin and strong. He was a major reformer of Qin seal script. He was known as the first person of small seal script after Li Si and had great influence on later generations. Since the creation of Xiaozhuan by Li Si in the Qin Dynasty, it has lasted for more than a thousand years from the Han, Wei, and Jin to the Sui and Tang Dynasties. However, calligraphy scholars only focused on Zhencao, while seal script learning fell into disuse. Li Yangbing sighed and said: "Heaven has not lost its gentleness, so I have the purpose of seal script."
Li Yangbing took seal script as his own responsibility, and began to study Li Si's "Yishan Stele", inheriting Yujin's brushwork. However, the method changes in physical posture. The lines become smooth and graceful, making them appear graceful and graceful. "The Story of the Golden Pot" said that "Yang Bing was particularly good at calligraphy, and his calligraphy was bold and powerful. At that time, people called him a pen tiger." Zhang Xu's calligraphy was also taught by Li Yangbing. In his later years, the seal writing techniques became more and more sincere and vigorous. Self-proclaimed: "After Si Weng (Li Si), until Xiaosheng. Cao Xi and Cai Yong are not worthy of mention." Kang Youwei's "Guang Yizhou Double Collection" called it: "Win with thinness and strength, just like the "Qian Gua Ming", which is more timid. It is so thin that it destroys the ancient law." The handed down inscriptions include "Three Tombs", "Chenghuang Temple Stele", "Qian Gua Inscription", "Yiting Inscription", "Prajna Terrace Inscription", etc., all of which were reprinted by later generations.
At that time, Li Yangbing had to inscribe the forehead of the stele written by Yan Zhenqing in seal script, which shows the profound influence of his seal script. The great poet Li Bai has poems that say: "My family has Father Ji, an outstanding saint and a great hero", "When the pen is written, the seal script is sprinkled, and the clouds collapse, which is surprising", which shows that Li Yangbing's seal script has indeed achieved great success. Sun Chengze of the Qing Dynasty also stated in "The Gengzi's Summer Days" that seal script came from the Qin and Han dynasties, and he recommended Li Yangbing as the first master, which shows his high evaluation.
"The Story of Three Tombs" was engraved in the second year of Dali of the Tang Dynasty (767). Written by Li Jiqing and written by Li Yangbing. "Three Tombs" is Li Yangbing's masterpiece. The strokes are consistent in thickness from beginning to end, smooth and clean. Among the seal scripts of the Tang Dynasty, Li Yangbing was the most accomplished. It is called "iron line drawing." "Three Tombs Monument" inherits Li Si's "Yishan Monument" jade tendon brushwork, which is won by thinness and strength.
Sun Chengze of the Qing Dynasty said: "Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, Li Yangbing has been regarded as the first person to write seal scripts. Now look at "Three Tombs", the writing style, the rules and the rules are profound, and it is difficult to match the sincerity. However, I have done it before The "Golden Teng Tu" painted by Lu Tanwei was later seen in Yang Bing's handwriting. It has a graceful and elegant style, which is beyond the reach of stone carvings. "Qing Kang Youwei believed that "The Story of Three Tombs" is "slim and powerful". Contemporary calligrapher Mr. Wang Nanming once wrote an article reviewing Li Yangbing's Xiaozhuan calligraphy: "The strips may be like the swaying of a weeping willow, or like the unwinding of flowing clouds. They are filled with a lyrical atmosphere and represent the literary style of Xiaozhuan calligraphy that was revived in the Tang Dynasty."< /p>