The famous calligraphers in ancient times include: Yan Zhenqing, Wang Xizhi, Su Dongpo, Li Si, Ouyang Xun, etc.

1. Yan Zhenqing

Yan Zhenqing (709-August 23, 784), whose courtesy name was Qingchen, nicknamed Xianmenzi, and also nicknamed Yingfang, was born in the capital of Wannian (today's A native of Xi'an, Shaanxi, his ancestral home is Langya Linyi (now Linyi, Shandong). A famous official and calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty, he was the grandson of the fifth generation of Secretary Yan Shigu and the younger brother of Situ Yan Gaoqing.

Yan Zhenqing has exquisite calligraphy and is good at running and regular script. He first studied under Chu Suiliang and later under Zhang Xu, acquiring his brushwork techniques. His regular script is dignified and majestic, and his running script is powerful. He created the "Yan style" regular script and had a great influence on later generations. Together with Zhao Mengfu, 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". He is also good at poetry and prose, including "Yunhai Jingyuan", "Liyue Collection", "Wuxing Collection", "Luling Collection" and "Linchuan Collection", all of which are lost. The Song Dynasty compiled "Yan Lu Gong Ji".

2. Wang Xizhi

Wang Xizhi (303-361, 321-379), courtesy name Yishao, Han nationality, was a famous calligrapher in the Eastern Jin Dynasty and was known as the "Sage of Calligraphy" called. Langya was born in Linyi (now Linyi, Shandong), and later moved to Shanyin, Huiji (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang), and lived in seclusion in Jinting, Shan County in his later years. He successively served as secretary Ying, general Ningyuan, governor of Jiangzhou, and later as internal history of Kuaiji, leading the right general. His calligraphy is good at Li, Cao, Kai, Xing and other styles. He studies the styles carefully, imitates them with his heart and hands, draws on the strengths of others, prepares various styles, and cultivates them in one furnace. He breaks away from the writing style of Han and Wei Dynasties and becomes his own style with far-reaching influence.

The style is peaceful and natural, the writing style is euphemistic and subtle, and it is beautiful and graceful. Li Zhimin commented: "Wang Xizhi's calligraphy not only expresses the simplicity and profoundness based on the philosophy of Lao and Zhuang, but also expresses the harmony based on the Confucian doctrine of the mean." His representative work "Lanting Preface" is known as "the best running script in the world". In the history of calligraphy, he and his son Wang Xianzhi are collectively known as the "Two Kings".

3. Su Dongpo

Su Shi (January 8, 1037 - August 24, 1101), also named Zizhan, also named Hezhong, also known as Tieguan Taoist and Dongpo Lay scholar, known as Su Dongpo and Su Xian in the world, Han nationality, was born in Meishan, Meizhou (now part of Meishan City, Sichuan Province). His ancestral home was Luancheng, Hebei Province. He was a famous writer, calligrapher and painter in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Su Shi was a literary leader in the mid-Northern Song Dynasty and made great achievements in poetry, lyrics, prose, calligraphy, and painting. His writings are bold and unbridled; his poems have broad themes, are fresh and bold, are good at using exaggerated metaphors, and have a unique style. Together with Huang Tingjian, they are called "Su Huang"; "Xin"; his prose writings are grand and bold, and he is called "Ou Su" together with Ouyang Xiu, and is one of the "Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song Dynasties".

Su Shi was also good at calligraphy and was one of the "Four Masters of the Song Dynasty"; he was good at literati painting, especially ink bamboo, strange rocks, dead wood, etc. There are "Dongpo Seven Collections", "Dongpo Yi Zhuan", "Dongpo Yuefu", "Xiaoxiang Bamboo and Stone Picture Scroll", "Old Wood and Strange Stone Picture Scroll" and so on.

4. Li Si

Li Si (approximately 284 BC - 208 BC), Li family, named Si, with the courtesy name Tonggu. At the end of the Warring States Period, he was born in Shangcai, Chu State (now Li Silou Village, Lugang Township, Shangcai County, Zhumadian City, Henan Province). A famous politician, writer and calligrapher in the Qin Dynasty.

Played a major role in King Qin's cause of destroying the six countries. After Qin unified the world, he agreed with Wang Wan and Feng Jie to respect Qin Wangzheng as the emperor and formulated relevant etiquette systems. Was appointed prime minister. He suggested demolishing county walls and destroying civilian weapons; he opposed the enfeoffment system and insisted on the system of counties and counties; he also advocated burning private collections of "Poetry", "Books" and other hundreds of languages, and prohibiting private study in order to strengthen centralized rule. He also participated in the formulation of laws to unify the track, writing, and weights and measures systems. The implementation of Li Si's political ideas had a profound impact on China and the world, and established the basic pattern of China's political system for more than two thousand years.

After the death of Qin Shihuang, he conspired with Zhao Gao to forge a posthumous edict, forcing the first emperor's eldest son Fusu to commit suicide and establishing his youngest son Hu Hai as the second emperor. Later, he was tabooed by Zhao Gao. In the second year of Qin II (208 BC), he was cut in half in the busy city of Xianyang and merged with the Yi tribe.

5. Ouyang Xun

Ouyang Xun (557-641), courtesy name Xinben, Han nationality, was born in Linxiang, Tanzhou (now Changsha, Hunan) in the Tang Dynasty, and was a famous calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty , official, one of the Four Masters of Regular Script, the grandson of Ouyang Ji, the general of the Southern Liang Zhengnan, and the son of Ouyang He, the general of the Southern Chen Zuowei. He was born in Hengzhou (now Hengyang, Hunan) in the second year of Taiping in the Southern Liang Dynasty (557 AD). His ancestral home is Linzhou, Tanzhou. Hunan (now Changsha, Hunan).

Ouyang Xun and his contemporaries Yu Shinan, Chu Suiliang and Xue Ji were called the Four Great Masters of the Early Tang Dynasty. Because his son Ouyang Tong was also good at calligraphy, he was also called "Da Ou".

Both he and Yu Shinan were famous for their calligraphy in the early Tang Dynasty, and they were both called "European Yu". Later generations used their calligraphy to find dangers in the ordinary and most convenient for beginners, so they were called "European style".

The representative works in regular script include "Jiucheng Palace Liquan Ming", "Huangfu's Birthday Stele", "Huadu Temple Stele", and running script include "Zhongni Meng Laying Post" and "Thousand-Character Essay in Running Script". He has unique insights into calligraphy and has written calligraphy treatises such as "Eight Secrets", "Teaching Secrets", "On Using the Brush" and "Thirty-Six Methods". The "Inscription on the Relics of Zen Master Huadu Siyi", "The Monument of Yu Gonggong Wen Yanbo" and "The Monument of Huangfu's Birthday?" are known as "the first regular script in the Tang Dynasty".

Reference materials Baidu Encyclopedia-Ouyang Xun

Baidu Encyclopedia-Li Si

Baidu Encyclopedia-Su Dongpo

Baidu Encyclopedia-Wang Xizhi

Baidu Encyclopedia-Yan Zhenqing