Yu Gonggong Stele by Ouyang Xun

Author: Compiled by the Press
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Publishing Date: 2000-08-01
Features: Regular script underwent transformation during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties period and had matured by the Sui Dynasty. Although the Sui Dynasty had a short reign, it was a crucial transitional period in the development of regular script, aptly described as "melting the north and south into one pot and setting the tone for the Tang Dynasty's regular script." Thus, from a certain perspective, the perfection and zenith of Tang Dynasty regular script was inevitable. There were two additional reasons for the flourishing of Tang Dynasty regular script: First, at that time, printing had not yet been invented, so a large number of Buddhist scriptures and books had to be manually copied, leading to the emergence of many professional scribes and scholars dedicated to regular script copying in the. Second, due to the emperors' preference and promotion of calligraphy for official selection, the "Confucian Academy of Learning" was established in the imperial court to recruit noble sons and officials of the fifth rank or higher to study regular script, creating an atmosphere that fostered many outstanding calligraphers skilled in regular script. Their works set the standard for the world, paving the way for the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Calligraphers across generations all drew inspiration from the Tang Dynasty, an influence that has endured to this day, serving as a model for calligraphy students.
Ouyang Xun was one of the leading calligraphers of the early Tang Dynasty. He was born in the first year of Emperor Wu of Chen (557) and died in the fifteenth year of the Zhenguan era of Emperor Taizong of Tang (641), at the age of eighty-five. His courtesy name was Xinyin, and he was from Linxiang, Tanzhou (Hunan). Because he held the position of the Director of the Heir Apparent's Bureau, he was also known as "Ouyang Shujiang." Initially, he studied under Wang Xizhi, but later drew inspiration from the bold and sharp brushwork of inscriptions and epitaphs from the Six Dynasties period to create his own style. His regular script was daring and severe, clear, noble, and robust. It is said that Ouyang Xun mastered all eight calligraphic scripts, excelling particularly in seal script and clerical script, grasping the essence of both square and round strokes. Due to his adherence to ancient principles, his regular script naturally embodied a sense of vitality and grace in every stroke. Moreover, by absorbing various strengths, his regular script had a well-balanced structure, precise posture, and stood out as a master of his generation. His representative works in regular script include: The Inscription of the Nine-Dragon Palace Spring Well, The Stele of Prince Huangfu, The Stele of Huadusi Temple, and The Stele of Prince Yu Gong.
Overall, Ouyang Xun's regular script had two key characteristics: First, his strokes were predominantly square, with iron-like sharpness, yet flexible and unyielding, earning the praise "as dense as weapons in a military arsenal." However, the world only recognized his squareness and missed his use of rounded strokes, which gave his works distinct edges and exposed sharpness—a misunderstanding. Guo Zongchang, in his Historical Records of Metal and Stone, stated: "People know that Xinyin deviated from the Jin Dynasty's style, but they do not realize that his structure and brushwork drew heavily from ancient clerical script." The middle sections of his calligraphy were exceptionally robust, while his hooks, upward strokes, and sharp turns were firm yet graceful. Second, his structure was daring and meticulous, with horizontal strokes tilted upward and vertical strokes leaning backward, falling into the category of diagonally tight compositions. Wang Wenji, in his Annotations of the Fast Rain Hall, remarked: "Ouyang considered danger to be peace and extremity to be correctness." Because his regular script could not avoid daring, improper study of it might harm its elegance. Ouyang Xun's regular script appeared strange but was actually upright, and seemed square but was actually round. Among his regular script steles, especially The Inscription of the Nine-Dragon Palace Spring Well, which was commissioned by imperial decree, was particularly rigorous and difficult to learn, earning the description from Mi Fu: "Ouyang is like a newly recovered patient, with a pale complexion and labored movements," referring to this very point.
The Stele of Prince Yu Gong, also known as The Stele of Wen Yanbo, was written by Cen Benwen and inscribed by Ouyang Xun. The stele comprises thirty-six lines, each with seventy-seven characters, with a seal script header reading "Stele of Prince Yu Gong of the Posthumous Grand Tutor of the Right Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and Grand Guardian Wen Gong." It was erected in the eleventh year of the Zhenguan era and inscribed by Ouyang Xun at the age of eighty-one. This stele's regular script is relatively relaxed and easy for beginners to grasp, yet it is a pity that there are many transmitted, copied, and re-copied versions in the world. The current edition chosen is from the collection of the Imperial Inner during the Jiaqing era. According to Wang Zhuanghong in Supplementary Notes on Stele Criticism: "This was once in the collection of Bi Lingyan's Mount Rock Studio, but Bi was punished and confiscated, and it was later acquired by the Inner. I obtained it in Shanghai in 1958 and it is now preserved in the Shanghai Museum." This edition has deep ink tones, sturdy paper, and is extremely precise, with postscripts by Wang Shu, Weng Fanggang, and Wang Wenji, indicating it is a fine printing from the Northern Song Dynasty. It is now published in photolithography to delight all calligraphy enthusiasts.