Song Rubbing of Yan Shi Ta by Liu Gongquan

Author: Song Tu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-12-01
Features: "Stele of the Profound Secrets," a Tang Dynasty stele in regular script. The text was composed by Pei Xiu and calligraphed by Liu Gongquan. It was erected in the first year of the Huichang era (841) and is located in the Stele Forest of Xi'an, Shaanxi. Liu Gongquan (778–865) was an outstanding calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty. Skilled in regular script, he learned from Yan Zhenqing but developed a slender and upright style, forming his own unique school, renowned as "Yan's sinews and Liu's bones." This stele is one of Liu Gongquan's representative works in regular script, with bold and vigorous strokes, strong bone structure, a combination of square and round forms, and tight composition. It is one of the famous models for regular script calligraphy and was printed based on the collection held by the Shanghai Library.