Liu Gongquan Running Script Calligraphy Manuscript

Author: Liu Yajun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-24
Features: Liu Gongquan (778-865), a native of Huayuan in the capital of the Tang Dynasty, styled Chengxuan. He passed the imperial examination in the early Yuanhe era and rose to the position of Taizisi (Vice Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent). He retired as Taizibao (Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent) and was enfeoffed as the Duke of Hedong. He was skilled in calligraphy, particularly in regular script, which was renowned. His calligraphic style was vigorous and elegant, forming a unique school of his own, and he was celebrated alongside Yan Zhenqing as the "Yan and Liu" of calligraphy. In the Continued Book Critique, Lu Zong of the Tang Dynasty praised his regular and running scripts as "[Liu Gongquan's] regular and running scripts are like a heron avoiding hunger under a cliff by an eagle." In the Continued Book Judgment, Zhu Changwen of the Song Dynasty ranked Liu Gongquan's calligraphy in the category of "excellent." However, there were also critics of Liu Gongquan's calligraphy. In the Sehai Mingyan, Mi Fu of the Song Dynasty remarked; "[Liu Gongquan learned from Ouyang, but he was far inferior, and became the ancestor of ugly and vile calligraphy."