Ouyang Xun
Ouyang Xun (557-441), courtesy name Xinben, was born in Linxiang, Tanzhou (now Changsha, Hunan) during the Tang Dynasty. From the official to the crown prince, he led Gengling and Hongwenguan to learn from the soil and was granted the title of male from Bohai County. Having read extensively about ancient and modern times, he can write in all eight styles, especially his calligraphy and running script. He first studied Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi. He absorbed the regular script from the Han Dynasty and the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and created new ideas. His writing was powerful, thin and hard, and his thoughts were precise and elegant. He became his own "European style" and had a profound influence on later generations. According to historical records, Ouyang Xun "Although his appearance is very ugly, he is extremely intelligent. He can read a lot of books, read the classics and history, and is especially good at the three histories." Ouyang Xun, together with Yu Shinan, Chu Suiliang, and Xue Ji, are also known as the "Chu Suiliang". "Four Families of the Tang Dynasty".
Yan Zhenqing
Yan Zhenqing (709-785), an outstanding calligrapher and great patriot in the Tang Dynasty. Han nationality, courtesy name Qingchen, from Langya Xiaotili (now Zhuman Village, Feixian County, Linyi City). His great-grandfather, grandfather, and father were all good at seal script and official script, and his mother, Yin, was also good at calligraphy. The "Yan style" regular script he founded is known as the "Four Masters of Regular Script" together with Zhao Mengtiao, Liu Gongquan and Ouyang Xun.
Liu Gongquan
Liu Gongquan (778-865), courtesy name Chengxuan, was a native of Jingzhaohua in the Tang Dynasty. He rose to the rank of crown prince and grand master, and was known as "Liu Shaoshi" in the world. Since he was also named the Duke of Hedong County by the emperor, later generations also called him "Liu Hedong". He was the successor of Yan Zhenqing. Later generations called them "Yan Liu" and became a model of calligraphy in the past dynasties. Together with Zhao Mengfu, Yan Zhenqing and Ouyang Xun, they are collectively known as the "Four Great Calligraphers".
Zhao Mengfu
Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322), also known as Songxue Taoist, also known as Shuijinggong Taoist, was a person from Wuxing, so he was also called "Zhao Wuxing" in the history of painting. The eleventh grandson of Zhao Kuangyin, Taizu of the Song Dynasty, and the successor of King Defang of Qin. The fifth generation ancestor is Prince Xiu An, and the fourth generation ancestor is Chongxian Jing Wang Bogui. Emperor Gaozong had no children, so his son Zichen was named Xiaozong, Bogui, his elder brother. He was given the title of Huzhou, so Mengfu was born in Huzhou. His great-grandfather Shichui, his ancestor Xiyong, his father and Chu served in the Song Dynasty, and both reached high-ranking officials. When he entered the imperial court, he was honored by Meng Fu, and he was awarded the title of Shichui as a bachelor of Jixian. A bachelor of Jixian University, he was posthumously named Wei Guogong by Yuan Yingzong after his death, with the posthumous title Wenmin.