1. Cai Yong
Cai Yong, 133-192, courtesy name Bojie, was born in Chenliu County (now Kaifeng, Henan). A famous writer and calligrapher in the Eastern Han Dynasty, he was the father of the talented Cai Wenji. Cai Yong was proficient in music and talented. He studied under the famous scholar Hu Guang. In addition to being familiar with classics and history, and good at poetry and poetry, he was also proficient in calligraphy, good at seal script and official script, and was especially accomplished in official script.
The "Feibai" calligraphy style he created had a great influence on later generations. Emperor Ling of the Eastern Han Dynasty was good at calligraphy, so famous calligraphers emerged in large numbers, with Cai Yong being the first. Tang Zhang Huaiguan's "Book Break" commented on Cai Yongfei's white calligraphy as "unparalleled in its wonderfulness, and its dynamic and magical power". His handwritings that have been handed down to this day include "Guo Guizong Stele" and "Ode to the West".
2. Wang Xizhi
Wang Xizhi, 303-361, courtesy name Yi Shao, was a famous calligrapher in the Eastern Jin Dynasty and was known as the "Sage of Calligraphy". His calligraphy is good at Li, Cao, Kai, Xing and other styles. He studies the styles carefully, admires them with his heart and pursues them with his hands. He draws on the strengths of many people, prepares all styles and refines them in one furnace. The style is peaceful and natural, the writing style is euphemistic and subtle, and it is beautiful and healthy.
Wang Xizhi is a master of calligraphy, and all calligraphers in the past dynasties have praised him as the first person. His representative work "Lanting Preface" is known as "the best running script in the world". The currently handed down "Le Yi Lun" and "Huang Ting Jing" are in small regular script, "Lanting Preface" is in running script, and "Seventeen Tie" is in cursive script.
3. Wang Xianzhi
Wang Xianzhi, 344-386, named Zijing. Together with his father Wang Xizhi, he is known as the "Two Kings", and together with Zhang Zhi, Zhong Yao and Wang Xizhi, he is known as the "Four Sages in the Book". The two princes and their sons played an important role in perfecting the three-body script of Kai Xing Cao. Wang Xianzhi specializes in cursive script in calligraphy and is famous for his running script and cursive script. Among the handwritings that have been handed down to this day, "Luo Shen Fu" in small regular script is the most famous.
4. Ouyang Xun
Ouyang Xun, 557-641, was named Xinben and one of the four masters of regular script. Ouyang Xun came from Wang Xizhi's family, and he understood all the eight styles of books. But what later generations valued most was his regular script, which was called "European style" because of its uniqueness and simplicity, making it the easiest for beginners to learn. His "Jiucheng Palace Liquan Inscription" and "Huadu Temple Stele" are the most famous.
5. Yan Zhenqing
Yan Zhenqing, 709-784, had the courtesy name Qingchen. He is good at poetry and prose, and has many writings. He is good at running and regular script, and created "Yan style" regular script. Together with Zhao Meng, Liu Gongquan and Ouyang Xun, they are known as the "Four Masters of Regular Script". It is also called "Yan Liu" together with Liu Gongquan, and is also known as "Yan Jin Liu Gu".
Yan Zhenqing was known for his conspicuous integrity and gentle calligraphy style. He was once called a model of a gentleman. However, its calligraphy style is endlessly varied, and it is said that "one monument has one look". His works in regular script are famous for "Song Jing Stele" and "Ode to Zhongxing" in regular script, while his works in running script include "Post for Fighting for a Seat" and "Manuscript of Memorial to Nephew".
The "Manuscripts of the Nephew Sacrifice", Wang Xizhi's "Orchid Pavilion Preface" and Su Shi's "Huangzhou Cold Food Post" are known as "the three major running scripts in the world", and are also known as "the second running script in the world".
6. Liu Gongquan
Liu Gongquan, 778-865, was famous for his calligraphy in regular script. Together with Yan Zhenqing, he was called "Yan Liu" and one of the "Four Masters of Regular Script". He first learned calligraphy from Wang Xizhi. Later, he studied calligraphy by famous calligraphers of the Tang Dynasty. He absorbed the strengths of Yan Zhenqing and Ouyang Xun, incorporated new ideas, and created his own unique "Liu style", which is famous for its strong bones. Later generations have "Yan Jin Liu Gu" reputation.
The handed down steles include "Diamond Sutra Carved Stone", "Mysterious Pagoda Stele", "Feng Su Stele", etc., and the cursive scripts include "Fu Shen", "Sixteen Days", and "Shame to the Tie" etc., there are also ink ink "Mengzhao Tie" and "Wang Xianzhi's Pear Sending Postscript".
7. Zhang Xu
Zhang Xu, born between 675 and about 750, named Bogao, was a native of Wuxian County (now Suzhou, Jiangsu) in the Tang Dynasty. Famous for his cursive script, together with Li Bai's poetry and Pei Min's sword dance, they are known as the "Three Wonders". Calligraphy is as famous as Huai Su, collectively known as "Dian Zhang Kuang Su".
He was fond of drinking. According to the "Old Book of Tang Dynasty", every time he got drunk, he would run wildly, howling and swaying his pen, and he was sometimes called Zhang Dian. This fact also shows that he was passionate about art and was honored as the "Grass Saint" by later generations.
8. Huaisu
Huaisu, 725-785, had a Zangzhen style. Famous for "crazy grass". Huaisu's cursive calligraphy is thin and vigorous, with natural flying movements, like a sudden rain and whirlwind, changing at any time. Although his calligraphy is free-spirited and ever-changing, it is still lawful.
The calligraphy works handed down from generation to generation include "Autobiography Calligraphy", "Bitter Bamboo Shoots Calligraphy", "Notre Dame Calligraphy", "On Calligraphy Calligraphy" and "Xiaocao Qianwen". Huaisu and Zhang Xu formed a situation where the two peaks of calligraphy in the Tang Dynasty stood side by side, and they were also two peaks in the history of Chinese cursive calligraphy.
9. Huang Tingjian
Huang Tingjian, 1045-1105, was a famous writer and calligrapher in the Northern Song Dynasty. He was the founder of the Jiangxi School of Poetry, which was very popular at one time. As famous as Su Shi, he is known as "Su Huang" in the world. His calligraphy was based on the Jin and Tang Dynasties and was deeply influenced by Zhou Yue, Huai Su, Yan Zhenqing, Su Shi and others. The style is similar to Liu Gongquan, with the emphasis on charm.
10. Mi Fu
Mi Fu, 1051-1107, named Yuanzhang, was also known as Haiyue Waishi. Also known as "Mi Xiangyang" and "Minangong". Calligrapher, painter, and theorist of calligraphy and painting in the Northern Song Dynasty. One of the "Four Families of the Song Dynasty". He is good at calligraphy styles such as seal script, official script, regular script, running script, and cursive script. He is good at copying ancient calligraphy to the point of imitating the real calligraphy.
Before Mi Fu was 40 years old, he studied ancient calligraphy assiduously, so his calligraphy was praised as "collecting ancient characters". After the age of 40, he integrates the styles of various brands, changes vertically and horizontally, and becomes his own brand. His main works include "Poems of Duojinglou", "Poems of Hongxian County", "Inscriptions on Yanshan Mountain", "Shu Su Tie", "Worship of Zhongyue Ming Tie", etc.