Liu Gongquan's Selected Regular Script Calligraphy from the Xuan Mi Tower

Author: Hongyu Editor
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: Liu Gongquan (AD 778-865), styled Chengxuan, was a native of Huayuan, Jingzhao (now Yaoyuan, Shaanxi). He was a great calligrapher of the late Tang Dynasty. Liu Gongquan and Yan Zhenqing were both outstanding calligraphers of the Tang Dynasty who excelled in creation, exerting significant influence on their time and later generations. They were later known as "Yan and Liu," and the saying "Yan's strength, Liu's bone" was coined. His calligraphy is characterized by strong and vigorous strokes, clear (alternations between thick and thin), upright structures that are tight yet expansive, slender and elongated forms with a dynamic and graceful posture, strict adherence to rules yet rich in variation. Liu Gongquan left behind many stone inscriptions, most notably the "Xuanmi Tower Stele," "Shen Ce Jun Stele," "Diamond Sutra," and the small-character "Yuan Dao Stele." His surviving calligraphic works include the "Colophon to the Shou Li Te" (authentic copy), while his transmitted ink rubbings include the "Meng Zhao Te" and "Lanting Poem Te" among others. Liu's style features slender and upright strokes, strong and vigorous bone structure, a combination of round and square strokes, decisive downward movements, and precise control of lifting, pressing, and stopping. The central part is tightly condensed while the four sides are expanded, creating a structure that is both rigorous and spacious. His calligraphic style is upright and elegant, with clean and concise strokes, embodying roundness and thickness within clarity and firmness. His technique integrates strength and suppleness, making his works beloved by calligraphers for generations and becoming a preferred model for study and copying. Based on years of experience in compiling calligraphic books and collecting feedback from, we have specially compiled the "Selected Calligraphic Characters of Liu Gongquan (Xuanmi Tower Stele)." This book progresses from simple to complex, systematically selecting exemplary characters from Liu Gongquan's "Xuanmi Tower Stele," making it an invaluable model for calligraphy enthusiasts and students of all ages to learn and practice calligraphy and stone inscriptions.