Brief introduction of Ou Yangxun
Should I write that I am one of the four masters in the early Tang Dynasty and list my achievements in calligraphy one by one, or should I submit my works directly? However, he is the conclusion given to him by the four great figures in the early Tang Dynasty, which seems to be useless. Of course, in ancient times, you didn't need a resume to apply for an official position, as long as someone recommended it.
Ou Yangxun lived through three dynasties, namely Southern Dynasty, Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty. Of course, the imperial examination system was implemented in the Sui Dynasty, so Ou Yangxun can also serve the country through the imperial examination.
Ou Yangxun held many official positions related to etiquette or document compilation in his life, which proved his accomplishments in literature and calligraphy. If you think it is wrong to be a civil servant as long as you have knowledge, you have to write well. If others don't know what you wrote, the book you made up is useless.
Therefore, Ou Yangxun, who is highly accomplished in calligraphy, still has great advantages. His masterpieces "Lanting Collection" and "Thirty-six Plans" are enough to make people look up. Besides these, Ou Yangxun is also good at inscriptions. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than a dozen regular scripts on Ouyang Xu's inscriptions. Of course, only four experts have identified them, but this is enough for many people to use for a lifetime.
Besides, everything else was forged by later generations, and it was also because people's words were popular.
Yang Shiqi in Ming Dynasty once commented on Ou Yangxun's calligraphy, saying that his brushwork was solemn and had a literati character, which was both elegant and disciplined in Jin Dynasty. As a beginner, as long as you keep learning, you will definitely achieve something.
Life in Ou Yangxun
In Chinese class, we are always asked by the teacher to recite a lot of literary common sense. I believe everyone has memorized Four Masters in the Early Tang Dynasty and European Language, and friends who like calligraphy should also know who "Big Europe" is. Yes, we are going to talk about Ou Yangxun today.
Statue of Ou Yangxun
What do you think of when you talk about Ou Yangxun? Is Ou Yangxun, a native of Linxiang, Tanzhou, together with Yu Shinan, Chu Suiliang and Xue Ji, an epistolary book called "encounter" with Yu Shinan, or will he remember some of his major achievements, such as teaching tactics, writing on pens and thirty-six methods?
So do you know that Ou Yangxun once held these official positions, and how did he become a calligrapher? Let's tell a story about Ou Yangxun!
In China, which has a civilization of 5,000 years, it is normal for dynasties to change. People who have studied history also know that people in troubled times will go through several dynasties. Maybe this dynasty was just established today and will be destroyed by other separatist forces tomorrow. Closer to home, Ou Yangxun lived through three dynasties. Born in the Southern Dynasties, Chen is a noble, but he is not a dude as people often say. On the contrary, he is smart, sensitive and studious, and he is a young man with real talent and practical learning.
Maybe a jealous genius. At the age of 33, he was imprisoned for his father's rebellion. Fortunately, he survived under the protection of his father's good friend General Jiang. Just like that sentence, when God closes a door for you, he will open a window for you.
Jiang Zong, who rescued him from danger, happened to be a calligrapher, while Ou Yangxun was diligent and studious. Therefore, under his guidance, Ou Yangxun's calligraphy has made rapid progress, and he has the honor to be a "doctor too often" in charge of ancestral temple etiquette and other affairs.
During this period, he experienced the Sui Dynasty. Nearly 60 years old, he keeps close contact with Shi Mi. Everyone must know who Shi Mi is, so he was later appointed as a "Bachelor of Hong Wen Pavilion", specializing in editing articles.
Ou Yangxun font features
As the saying goes, "seeing words is like seeing people", that is to say, you can see a person's character and personality. Words are a person's facade and a person's face.
Ou Yangxun diagram
So many people will practice calligraphy, such as running script, regular script, cursive script, thin gold body and so on. In the 5,000-year history of China, famous calligraphers abound. Speaking of regular script, we have to mention a person who is praised by the world for his official script. Who is this person and what are his characteristics?
Say this person's name, and many calligraphy lovers will suddenly realize, Oh, it's him, yes, it's Ou Yangxun. Ou Yangxun's regular script is neat and standardized, with a strong pen and a clear and neat pen collection.
It was once commented in the Qing Dynasty that Ou Yangxun's words focused on the use of the force between his fingers, and his strokes were rigorous and powerful, and his character was vigorous, neither too plump nor too slender. Every painting is perfect. One more point is too long, one less point is too short, the weight is appropriate, and the length is appropriate.
Of course, his calligraphy not only uses the power between his fingers, but also tries to use a pen to strictly control the strength of the middle part of the stroke, that is, a simple horizontal stroke interrupts the fullness of the pen; There are also some characters whose main strokes extend outward to show the compactness of the characters, especially when writing vertical paintings on the right side, which often have upward exaggerated extension. Ou Yangxun's unique composition shows his extraordinary courage.
Ou Yangxun also created the Eight Methods, which explained his unique views on calligraphy for people. In the Tang Dynasty, some people commented that his Eight Strategies applied brushwork to the extreme, perfectly showing the endless danger of great strength.
Ou Yangxun's masterpiece.
Historical celebrities have their own masterpieces. Even if there are no representative works, there must be historical contributions, otherwise how can it last forever? But don't forget, a word corresponds to eternal fame, called immortality, such as Qin Gui.
Representative mapping of Ou Yangxun
So what kind of Ou Yangxun are we talking about today? Let's take a look at his representative works first, and then you can draw your own conclusions.
People who like calligraphy, or more specifically, people who like regular script, must have heard of such a person. He is good at regular script inscriptions, and he can see more than a dozen works so far. Although only four kinds have been identified as authentic by experts, they are enough for many of us to learn for a long time.
Many of Ou Yangxun's works have been handed down from generation to generation, such as The Inscription of Liquan in Jiucheng Palace, which was written by Wei Zhi and then written in regular script. At that time, Ou Yangxun was seventy-six years old, but his brushwork was still neat, and his calligraphy attainments were evident. Known as the "ultimate rule of regular script", the inscription of Li Quan in Jiucheng Palace has always been deeply loved by calligraphy lovers.
In addition, there are thirty-six strategies, eight strategies, Yugong monument, Huangfushengchen monument, Huadu temple pagoda inscription and other works in regular script, and the Buddhist classic Heart Sutra written in small letters. Running script works are most famous for Tie and Hans Zhang Tie.
Li Shu's works include the Monument to the Governor of Xuzhou in Tang Dynasty, which was written in Zhenguan period and inscribed by Li Bai's Medicine Institute. Ou Yangxun's official script is rarely handed down from generation to generation, but this inscription is rigorous in brushwork and vigorous in momentum, which is quite a legacy of the Six Dynasties.