Four Reqular Script masters
6 min readhe famous”four regular script masters”in China’s history of calligraphy refer to four calligraphers：Ouyang Xun，Yan Zhenqing and Liu gongquan in the Tang Dyansty and Zhao Mengfu in the Yuan Dynasty
Ouyang Xun lived in the late Sui Dynasty and the early Tang Dynasty and loved calligraphy from childhood.There are many legends about his love for studying calligraphy.For example，he paid a high price to buy Picture of Finger Movements used by Wang Xizhi to teach calligraphy to his son，and pondered day and night；for another example he went out once，saw a stone tablet with an inscription by calligrapher of the Jin Dynasty Suo Jing（239-303）on the way，sat down and imitated it carefully beside the tablet for three days
Ouyang Xun’s calligraphy drew on the strengths of different people，incorporating diverse styles of the official script of the Han Dynasty，the regular script of the Jin Dynasty and the tablet inscriptions of the Six Dynasties.The main stylistic characteristics are strict conformity with norms，straightness，strength and internalvigor.Each stroke is just right，neither too long nor too short.Ouyang’s use of the writing brush gave emphasis to the vigor of a stroke’s middle part，manifesting the charm of solid middle parts well.Commemorative Stone Tablet for the Sweet Spring near the Jiucheng palace is ouyang Xun’s representative work.the inscription composed by Wei zheng（580-643）records how a spring was discovered while Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty（on the throne from 627 to 649）was avoiding the summer heat in the Jiucheng Palace.Ouyang Xun was ordered by the emperor to write This tablet with a solemn style is in strict conformity with norms the strokesseem both square and round，the structures are precise and orderly，vigorous locally but elegant on the whole，and there is no disorderly or loose part.
Yan Zhenqing studied calligraphy from childhood，not only influenced by his familybut also instructed by the great Tang calligrapher Zhang Xu（675-750）personally.He also learned from Cai Yong（133-192），Wang Xizhi，Wang Xianzhi，Chu Suiliang，etc gained a comprehensive understanding，and formed a unique style.Yan Zhenqing’s regular script stroke structures are square and thick with great power and strong omentum.this style is called the”Yan style”.His representative works include Duobao pagoda stele，encomium to a portrait of dongfang shuo Record of the Platform from which Magu ascended to Immortality，Yan Qingli stele，The Ancestral
Temple stele of the yen clan etc his cursive script also shows intense and vigorous momentum in twists and turns. The most famous work is Funeral Address for Nephew Jiming, reputed as the “second best running script work in the world Generally speaking, the most representative feature of Yan Zhenqing’s calligraphy was that he created the “silkworm head and swallow tail calligraphic style. Silkwormhead”refers to the beginning of a vertical stroke like a round silkworm head; swallow tail”refers to the forkshaped end of a right-falling stroke written by pausing with ow great force first and then raising the writing brush slightly to make the end pointed This calligraphic style is more vigorous. Actually the writing style mirrors the writer Calligraphers sentiments and skills are especially important to good calligraphic works. Therefore, Liu Xizai (1813-1881) in the Qing Dynasty wrote in Summary of Art Summary of Calligraphy that to learn Yan Zhenqing’s calligraphy “one must have great vigor in the mind and the power of reality in the wrist”Yan Zhenqing’s calligraphic works do have such power and momentum-for example, Yan Qingli Stele, The ancestral Temple Stele of the Yen Clan, etc. all vigorously written with only the middle of the writing brush are as powerful as swords, giving people a sense of magnificence.
After Wang Xizhi, Yan Zhenqing made the epoch-marking great achievement of changing the regular script and at the same time brought changes in the running script and the cursive script. Just like a critic says, Youjun’s running script, cursive script and regular script all attain perfection, and his artistic charm cannot be approached by ordinary people. However, after developing to the times of Yan Zhenqing, calligraphic art would definitely change Zhenqing knew this quite well, so he adroitly guided action according to circumstances and carried out major reform Inheriting the ancient views on the seal script and the official script and breaking from the standards of wang Xizhi and wang xianzhi through developing artistic conceptions, he finally formed a full-fledged new calligraphic style with great momentum based on the ancient methods and in conformity with the trends of the times-the yan -style regular script, which remained popular for one thousand years and attained a new state of magnificence different from the calligraphic styles of Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi. Chinese Calligraphic art by Chen Yulong)
Liu gongquan passed the imperial examination at the age of 29 and served as a local official at first. His calligraphic works were seen by Emperor Muzong of the Tang Dynasty(on the throne from 821 to 824) by chance and were regarded as sacred works, so he was summoned by the imperial court to Chang’ an and later became Junior Preceptor of the Crown Prince. Therefore, he was called Junior Preceptor Liu n later ages. Liu Gongquan first learned Wang Xizhi’s calligraphy and carefully studied the calligraphic styles of Ouyang Xun and Yan Zhenqing. He integrated his new conceptions based on the styles of previous calligraphers and finally formed a style of his own.His regular script characterized by tight structures avoids the trend of thin orizontal strokes and thick vertical strokes and adopts the trend of even thickness and decisiveness with great vigor.Some strokes are often tightly arranged to make the parts with much space especially open.Sharp edges and corners manifest great heroic spirit.Compared with the Yan style，the Liu style is slightly thinner.Therefore，people call them Yan’s tendons and Liu’s bones”.Emperor Muzong of the Tang Dynasty once asked Liu Gongquan how to use the writing brush He replied：”Use ofthe writing brush depends on the heart.If the heart is upright，the strokes are upright
Many calligraphic works of Liu Gongquan have been handed down from ancient times.The influential ones include mysterious Pagoda Stele，Stele of the army of Inspired Strategy，Diamond Sutra，etc.After prospering in the peak period and middle period of the Tang dynasty，calligraphy declined in the late Tang dynasty Liu Gongquan contributed to its temporary recovery.
In the Yuan Dynasty，regular script master Zhao Mengfu emerged.Zhao Mengfu was learned and versatile，famous for calligraphic works and paintings，and also made some achievements in poetry，literature，music and seal cutting.In terms of calligraphy Zhao Mengfu integrated the strengths of the famous masters of the Jin and Tang lynasties，and formed a new calligraphic style called”Zhao style”.His regular script characterized by evenness cleanness flatness and smoothness”was regular and convenient for writing，so it remained popular for hundreds of years.Apart from the regular script，he was also good at the seal script，the official script，the cursive script and the running script
Zhao mengfu created many novel forms of calligraphy and painting.He was the first calligrapher and painter to write poems on paintings and integrate poetry，calligraphy，painting and seal cutting.Besides，some members of the family of zhao Mengfu made great achievements in calligraphic art.His wife Guan Daosheng was a famous woman calligrapher after Lady Wei in the Jin Dynasty，and his son Zhao Yong was also wellknown for being good at calligraphy and painting.Emperor Renzong of the Yuan Dynasty ordered the palace library to collect the Zhao family’s calligraphicworks，and said：We should let later generations know that in a family living in this dynasty，the father，wife and son are both good at calligraphy.This is unusual
