Introduction to the Stele of Confucius Temple: Tang Shisong's Regular Script: Tang Shisong's Regular Script

Author: Wu Hongpeng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: The two dynasties of Sui and Tang span over three hundred years and have always held an important position in the history of Chinese calligraphy, and indeed have had a profound impact. Especially from the Sui to the early Tang, outstanding calligraphers emerged one after another, such as Ouyang Xun (557–641 AD), Yu Shennan (558–638 AD), and Chu Suiliang (596–658 AD), who are known as the "Three Great Masters of Early Tang." They inherited the calligraphy of the Han and Wei dynasties, gathered the essence of Northern and Southern Dynasties calligraphy, and blended the styles of the Northern and Southern Dynasties to transform into a completely new appearance. From this, they gradually developed the major changes in calligraphy after the middle and late Tang dynasties. Throughout the Song, Yuan, Ming dynasties, and even the middle period of the Qing dynasty, countless calligraphers over the millennia have taken inspiration from the Tang masters. The outstanding ones went further to the Wei and Jin dynasties through this, achieving the status of renowned masters of their generation. Both initially were influenced by Wang Xizhi, while also absorbing the tight, dense, robust, and pure calligraphy style of the Northern Dynasties. As a result of their individual expressions of personality, their styles were distinctly different. Ouyang Xun excelled in sharpness, while Yu Shennan was renowned for his elegance. Together, they unified the calligraphy styles of the Northern and Southern dynasties during the Sui and Tang periods, establishing new canons of regular script. Yu Shennan's Stele of Confucius Temple and Ouyang Xun's Epigraph of the Nine Dragons Pavilion are both supreme masterpieces of regular script in the history of calligraphy, widely recognized as definitive works in both ancient and modern times.