Ou Yangxun was born in the Tang Dynasty. He is the grandson of General Ouyang Kai of Nanliang and the son of General Nan Chen. Because of his famous calligraphy, Ou Yangxun is considered as one of the four masters of regular script. He is not only a calligraphy scholar, but also a calligraphy theorist. He compiled his practical experience into a book for future generations to ponder and learn, leaving valuable experience for future generations. Ou Yangxun, born in Hengyang, Hunan Province in 557, is a famous calligrapher, especially in regular script.
Ou Yangxun's grandfather Ouyang Li successively served as ambassador, commander-in-chief of Hengzhou Military Region, general Annan and general Cheung Nam. Ou Yangxun's father, Ouyang Yang, joined the army with his father at the age of 20, and was brave and good at fighting. Later, following in his father's footsteps, he served as commander-in-chief, commander-in-chief, commander-in-chief, commander-in-chief, commander-in-chief and so on. In the first year of Chen Kaiguo's reign (569), the emperor named him General Zuo because of his paranoia.
Ouyang family is a big family. His grandfather was an official in North Korea and held several important positions. Later, his father inherited his grandfather's career and position. Ouyang's father is brave and good at fighting. He joined the army at the age of 20 and served as an officer all his life. In 569, he was suspected of success. Later, Ouyang's father rebelled, but this mission failed. The whole Ouyang family was silenced by the whole family, only Ou Yangxun was still alive. At that time, Ou Yangxun was only 13. Faced with this change, Ou Yangxun obviously can't bear it. Thanks to the death of the Empress Dowager and the emperor's amnesty, Ou Yangxun is still alive. Later, he was adopted by Ouyang Fu's good friend. Since then, Ou Yangxun has lived in Jiankang (Nanjing, Jiangsu) with his adoptive father for more than 20 years.
Ou Yangxun worked as a doctor, then worked for Yu Wenhuaji, then Liaocheng was broken, and Ou Yangxun worked under Dou Jiande. At the age of 65, he worked as a waiter under Gao Zu Li Yuan. Looking at Ou Yangxun's official career, it can be said that it is relatively smooth.
Ou Yangxun is a calligrapher, and his greatest achievement is in the field of calligraphy. He summed up his long-term practice, invented eight methods, and compiled a book, and compiled his own experience on how to learn books and how to contact books into a book for future generations to learn from. Teaching Strategies, On Writing, Eight Strategies and Thirty-six Strategies are all works of Ou Yangxun.
Ou Yangxun is clever and diligent. He has read several lines at the same time. When he was a teenager, he was proficient in Historical Records, Hanshu, Dongguan Han Ji, especially calligraphy, almost to the point of obsession. It is said that Ou Yangxun once rode out and happened to see a stone tablet written by Suo Jing, a famous calligrapher in Jin Dynasty. He rode on a horse and watched it carefully for a while before leaving, but just a few steps later, he couldn't help but return to dismount and watch. He boasted many times that he didn't want to leave, so he simply laid a blanket and sat down to ponder over it. Finally, he sat by the monument for three days before leaving.
Ou Yangxun first imitated Wang Xizhi in calligraphy, and then found his own method. In particular, his bold and vigorous block letters and rigorous statutes were regarded as the standard by later calligraphers and handed down as "European style". In the Tang Dynasty, the calligraphy evaluation work "Shu Duan" said: "Ask eight styles, and the pen is strong and dangerous. Seal script is particularly refined, flying white crown, superior to the ancients. Disturbed the image of the dragon and snake fighting, the cloud is as light as a cage, just like a god. The book of true behavior is out of order and incomplete. As dense as an armory spear and halberd, Shen Feng is stricter than wise and brave, not as good as Shinan. His cursive script has been circulated repeatedly and can be regarded as two kings. But he was shocked and didn't avoid danger, and he was hurt by Qing. " The Song Dynasty's Xuan He Shu Pu was praised as "the crown of calligraphy" by printing. According to historical records, Ou Yangxun is ugly, but his calligraphy is world-famous. People are scrambling to get his handwriting. Once they get it, they will regard it as Gui Bao's model of their own calligraphy. During the period of Tang Wude (6 18-624), Koryo (located in present-day Korea on the Korean Peninsula) specially sent envoys to Chang 'an to ask for Ou Yangxun's calligraphy. Tang Gaozu Tang Gaozu sighed: "I didn't expect Ou Yangxun's reputation to be so great that even Yidi in the distance knew it. When they see Ou Yangxun's handwriting, they must think he is a big man. "
How did Ou Yangxun finally die?
During the Zhenguan period (626 -649), Ou Yangxun died at the age of 80. There are calligraphy treasures, such as the calligraphy post, Hans' post, and the inscription "Li Quan Ming" and Huangfushou tablet in Jiucheng Palace. Later generations called him "the four great calligraphers in the early Tang Dynasty" with Yu Shinan, Chu Suiliang and Xue Qi in the early Tang Dynasty. Ou Yangxun is not only a great calligrapher, but also a calligraphy theorist. In his long-term calligraphy practice, he summed up eight methods of practicing calligraphy, namely, "like a peak falling from a rock, like a crescent moon in the sky, like a thousand miles of clouds, like a dead vine, like a pine tree, like a cliff, like a crossbow, like a sword breaking a rhinoceros horn, like a pen". Ou Yangxun's Tactics of Teaching Calligraphy, Theory of Using Calligraphy, Eight Methods and Thirty-six Methods are all summaries of his own experience in learning calligraphy, which specifically summarize the formal skills and aesthetic requirements of calligraphy, such as using calligraphy, structure and composition, and are valuable heritages of calligraphy theory.