Tang Ouyang Xun's calligraphy of the Huadusi Stele

Author: Editorial Board of Selected Calligraphic Works from Ancient Stele Collections
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1986-12-01
Features: "The Epitaph for the Venerable Monk Yong of Huadu Temple," abbreviated as "The Huadu Temple Stele," was carved in 631 AD during the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty. The text was composed by Li Baiyao, and the calligraphy was executed by Ouyang Xun in regular script. It consists of 35 lines, with 33 characters per line. The original stele has long been lost, but numerous re-carved versions have been produced since the Song Dynasty. The calligraphy of this stele is renowned for its powerful brushwork and is considered an epitome of regular script. In the "Records of Calligraphy and Painting Annotations" by Yu Fengqing of the Ming Dynasty, he quotes Zhao Mengfu's praise: "Among those skilled in calligraphy during the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, Yang Shuli was the most outstanding, and 'The Yong Master's Stele' was even more so." The Qing Dynasty epigraphist Wang Fanggang highly praised this stele, considering it superior to "The Liquan Spring Stele of the Nine Castles." The Tang-era rubbing preserved in the Dunhuang cave collection was once acquired by the French scholar Paul Pelliot and the British explorer Aurel Stein. It is now housed in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris and the British Museum in London, though unfortunately, only fragments remain. This volume is based on the copy annotated by Yu Fengqing, which preserves a large number of characters with clear and crisp rubbings, making it convenient for beginners to study and practice. Regrettably, only one of the Yuan Dynasty annotations survives, while the Ming and Qing Dynasty annotations have either been torn off or transferred to other steles. It is now published in facsimile to serve as a reference for calligraphy enthusiasts.