Brief introduction of Liu Gongquan What are the secrets of Liu Gongquan's calligraphy practice?

Liu Gongquan, a famous calligrapher and writer in the Tang Dynasty, is one of the "four masters of regular script" and enjoys a high reputation in the calligraphy field. The Diamond Sutra Engraving Stone, the Mysterious Tower Monument and the Feng Su Monument are Liu Gongquan's classic masterpieces.

Portrait of Liu Gongquan

Liu Gongquan was born in 778 AD and died in 865 AD. * * * was 88 years old and was from Tongchuan, Shaanxi. Liu Gongquan was born in an official's family. His father, Liu Ziwen, once served as a secretariat, and his brother, Liu Gongchu, was a famous official in the Tang Dynasty. Liu Gongquan, who was born in an official family, was influenced by his family and was very talented in literature. At the age of twelve, Liu Gongquan was able to write poems and fu. At the age of twenty-nine, Liu Gongquan took the imperial examination and won the Jinshi in one fell swoop, thus becoming an official in the DPRK and a school bookkeeper.

politically, Liu Gongquan once served as a book assistant in Tang Muzong, Tang Jingzong and Tang Wenzong dynasties. During his stay in Korea, Liu Gongquan dared to make bold suggestions, which was appreciated by Tang Wenzong. Once, Tang Wenzong talked about the thrifty living habits of Han Wenzong, and took his sleeve as an example, claiming that he had washed this dress three times. All the ministers present praised the thrifty character of literate admired, but only Liu Gongquan kept silent. Wenzong asked him why he didn't speak. Liu Gongquan said that the monarch's big festival is to appoint talents and listen to the advice of honest ministers. Washing clothes is only a minor matter, and the monarch should not take a fancy to it. Tang Wenzong appreciated Liu Gongquan's remonstrance ability, so he appointed him as the remonstrance doctor. After Tang Wenzong's death, Tang Wuzong acceded to the throne, and Liu Gongquan was appreciated and reused by Tang Wuzong, and he was appointed as a Prince Taibao. After Liu Gongquan's death, the emperor made him a prince's surname.

In calligraphy, Liu Gongquan copied and studied the works of Wang Xizhi, Zhong You and other calligraphers, and made reforms and innovations on this basis. In the direction of regular script calligraphy works, he carefully studied Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy skills and fonts, and then carried out integration and innovation, creating the "Liu Ti". Liu Gongquan's Liu Ti works have also become one of the representatives of "Tang Shu Shang Fa".

which dynasty was Liu Gongquan in

Liu Gongquan was a native of the Tang Dynasty, a famous calligrapher and writer, and one of the "four masters of regular script", enjoying a high reputation in the calligraphy field. The Diamond Sutra Engraving Stone, the Mysterious Tower Monument and the Feng Su Monument are Liu Gongquan's classic masterpieces.

appreciation of Liu Gongquan's works

Liu Gongquan was born in 778 AD and was from Tongchuan, Shaanxi. Liu Gongquan was born in an official's family. His father, Liu Ziwen, once served as a secretariat, and his brother, Liu Gongchu, was a famous official in the Tang Dynasty. Liu Gongquan, who was born in an official family, was influenced by his family and was very talented in literature. At the age of twelve, Liu Gongquan was able to write poems and fu. At the age of twenty-nine, Liu Gongquan took the imperial examination and won the Jinshi in one fell swoop, thus becoming an official in the DPRK and a school bookkeeper.

Liu Gongquan served as a book assistant in Tang Muzong, Tang Jingzong and Tang Wenzong dynasties. At that time, Liu Gongquan's brother Liu Gongchu knew that Liu Gongquan loved calligraphy, and then wrote a letter to Prime Minister Li Min, hoping that the Prime Minister would ask Tang Wenzong to change his brother Liu Gongquan to an idle position so that he could study calligraphy. Soon after, Liu Gongquan was transferred to the Hong Wen Pavilion as a bachelor's degree. Shortly after Liu Gongquan left, Tang Wenzong missed him very much and called him back as a librarian. In addition, during his stay in the DPRK, Liu Gongquan dared to make a bold suggestion, which was appreciated by Tang Wenzong. Once, Tang Wenzong talked about the thrifty living habits of Han Wenzong, and took his sleeve as an example, claiming that he had washed this dress three times. All the ministers present praised the thrifty character of literate admired, but only Liu Gongquan kept silent. Wenzong asked him why he didn't speak. Liu Gongquan said that the monarch's big festival is to appoint talents and listen to the advice of honest ministers. Washing clothes is only a small matter, and the monarch should not take a fancy to it. Tang Wenzong appreciated Liu Gongquan's remonstrance ability, so he appointed him as the remonstrance doctor.

The secret of Liu Gongquan's calligraphy

There was a river ditch where Liu Gongquan lived when he was a child. According to local people, the bottom of this river ditch is still black. At the river ditch, there is a naturally formed "inkstone platform". If you look closely, you can see that the stones at the bottom of the river are also a little black. This is the result of Liu Gongquan's "writing eight jars of water, inkstone stained with waterlogging and black pool". It is precisely because of Liu Gongquan's diligent study and hard practice that he has become a generation of calligraphy masters.

Liu Gongquan's works

Liu Gongquan once watched an old man who wrote with his feet without his arms, and his handwriting danced while the dragon and the phoenix danced, which made Liu Gongquan feel deeply. The old man's handwriting was flying freely, winning cheers, and Liu Gongquan admired it. Liu Gongquan knelt on the ground, hoping that the old man would accept him as a teacher. The old man laughed at himself for his humble background and couldn't be a model. Under Liu Gongquan's pleading, the old man took out a piece of paper and wrote: Write down eight jars of water, and the inkstone will be stained with black water, and win over hundreds of parents before the dragon and phoenix will fly. Then, Liu Gongquan encouraged himself and studied hard and practiced calligraphy. In addition, in order to make his handwriting beautiful, Liu Gongquan is good at observing the actions and trends of animals in his life, and he can feel the morphological changes from their actions. Liu Gongquan often went to other people's houses to observe the scene of killing cattle and skinning cowhide. After butchers cut off the meat, only the animal skeleton was left. Liu Gongquan studied the animal structure from it to get inspiration from calligraphy.

The birds in the sky and the animals on the ground are the objects of Liu Gongquan's observation. He combined animal dynamics with calligraphy writing, and practiced for a long time. The font became more elegant and dynamic, and the font became more distinct, with the beauty of thin bones. And all this is inseparable from Liu Gongquan's long-term hard practice.

Liu Gongquan's mind is right

On one occasion, when Tang Muzong watched Liu Gongquan writing, he sighed with emotion that Liu Gongquan was skilled in writing and praised his beautiful handwriting.

Liu Gongquan's works

asked Liu Gongquan what secrets he had in calligraphy practice. Liu Gongquan said to Tang Muzong, "Use a pen in your heart, your heart is regular and your pen is correct, your heart is just like thinking, your pen is thick and your strokes are correct." There is a pun in this sentence by Liu Gongquan. He not only told Tang Muzong his skills in practicing calligraphy, but also told Tang Muzong from the side that he needed to be "upright" in managing state affairs. This sentence is Liu Gongquan's experience in calligraphy. As a calligrapher, Liu Gongquan needs to concentrate on writing works, and only after his mind is clear can he learn works that satisfy him. The so-called "using a pen in mind" also reflects Liu Gongquan's attainments in "mind learning" from one side, aiming at integrating ethical concepts with calligraphy art. The sage's learning lies in the right mind and the right brushwork, and the same is true for practicing calligraphy works. The works starting from the heart are the true portrayal of the heart.

In terms of behavior, Liu Gongquan still adheres to the attitude of "being honest". On one occasion, Tang Wenzong talked about the frugality of Han Wenzong's living habits, and took his sleeve as an example, claiming that he had washed this dress three times. All the ministers present praised the thrifty character of literate admired, but only Liu Gongquan kept silent. Wenzong asked him why he didn't speak. Liu Gongquan said that the monarch's big festival is to appoint talents and listen to the advice of honest ministers. Washing clothes is only a small matter, and the monarch should not take a fancy to it. Tang Wenzong appreciated Liu Gongquan's remonstrance ability, so he appointed him as the remonstrance doctor.

Liu Gongquan wrote the "posture of willow bones" lamented by the world with "rightness of mind", and he also admonished the emperor with "rightness of mind" and became a famous minister. And his idea of "correct mind and correct pen" is highly respected by later generations. Su Shi, a great writer in the Song Dynasty, once wrote an article to praise Liu Gongquan's idea of "correct mind and correct pen".