Yan calligraphy was a style of calligraphy created by Yan Zhenqing, a calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty. Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy style was rich and full, with large and upright strokes and structures, a majestic and magnificent momentum, a broad and dignified character, and a technique of using seal characters to enter regular script and stippling. Yan calligraphy had unique emotions and spirituality, and the writing was natural and strange, showing Yan Zhenqing's rich state of thought. Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy style was unique in the history of calligraphy and was widely praised and imitated. Yan calligraphy had an important influence on the development of Chinese calligraphy, and it still holds an important position in contemporary calligraphy.
Yan calligraphy works include Guo Xuji Stele, Guo Kui Stele, Duobao Pagoda Stele, Please Write on the Poem Stele of Xiaoyao Tower, Xianyu's Lidui Record, Obliteration Record, Gan Lu Zi Book, Yan Gaoqing Stele, Miaoxi Temple Stele, etc. There are also Yan Lugong's Three Poems (although not Yan Zhenqing's authentic works, written by later generations, probably in the Ming Dynasty). In addition, there were also people who copied Liu Yong's works such as 'Looking at the Tides'. The novel "Listening to the Rain in Green Bamboo and Watching the Egrets" is equally wonderful. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
Yan Zhenqing's regular script copybook referred to Yan Zhenqing's collection of regular script works, which included works such as the Pagoda Stele. These copybooks were based on Yan Zhenqing's regular script style for reference and practice by those who learned and appreciated calligraphy. Yan Zhenqing was a famous calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty. His regular script works were famous for their rich and beautiful strokes, smooth and steady, rigorous and dense, stable and symmetrical. Yan Zhenqing's regular script copybook had an important reference value for learning and studying calligraphy.
We are unable to provide pictures of Yan calligraphy works.
Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy works include Yan Qinli Stele, Li Xuanjing Stele, Xianyu's Lidui Record, Guo Family Temple Stele, Duobao Pagoda Stele, Sacrifice Nephew Manuscript, Liu Zhong's Envoy Post, Self-writing Post, Fighting for Seat Post, Dongfang Shuo Painting Praise, Yan Family Temple Stele, Magu Immortal Altar Record, Resurrection Ode, etc. Among them, Yan Qinli Stele showed Yan Zhenqing's mature writing technique and structural design, Li Xuanjing Stele had the meaning of seal script, Xianyu's Lidui Record and Guo Family Temple Stele showed Yan Zhenqing's variation in calligraphy style, Duobao Stele was a regular script calligraphy work, regarded as the highest peak of Yan Zhenqing's regular script, and Sacrifice to Nephew Manuscript was his running script work, which was now collected in the Palace Museum in Taibei. Self-written Body Invitation was his official calligraphy work. These works reflected Yan Zhenqing's creativity and unique calligraphy style, which was widely studied and appreciated by later generations.
Yan Zhenqing's Calligraphy Course 100 episodes was a systematic and comprehensive course, designed to provide a platform for calligraphy enthusiasts and students to learn, appreciate, and improve. This tutorial started with the basic knowledge of Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy, including the characteristics of running script and regular script, the practice methods of basic strokes, the concept and layout, and so on. However, the specific content of the tutorial and the method of explanation were not provided.
Yan Zhenqing (709 - 784) was a famous calligrapher and official of the Tang Dynasty. He was good at running script and regular script, and his calligraphy works were exquisite. Yan Zhenqing's regular script was dignified and majestic. It was known as the "Yan Style" and had a great influence on the development of calligraphy in later generations. Together with Zhao Mengfu, Liu Gongquan, and Ouyang Xun, he was known as the Four Great Masters of Regular Script. Together with Liu Gongquan, he was also known as Yan Liu. Together, they were known as Yan Jin Liu Gu. Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy works were recognized as authentic except for the "Sacrifice to Nephew Ji Mingwen's Manuscript". The authenticity of other works was still controversial. He was also good at poetry, but his works such as "Yun Hai Jing Yuan" and "Li Yue Ji" had been lost. Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy style was magnanimous, heavy, simple, and serious. He was known as a giant in the history of Chinese calligraphy.
Yan Zhenqing's semi-cursive masterpiece is "Sacrifice Nephew Manuscript."
Among Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy works, some were very famous and highly respected, including Yan Qinli Stele. This was the Divine Stele that Yan Zhenqing had written for his great-grandfather, Yan Qinli. It recorded the Yan Clan's lineage and Yan Qinli's life story. Yan Qinli Stele showed the mature style of Yan Zhenqing's regular script. His writing style was vigorous, dignified and elegant, and the font structure was rigorous yet flexible. Yan Zhenqing was good at using techniques such as lifting, pressing, and stopping to make the strokes and lines show rich changes, both powerful and rhythmic. This stele also demonstrated Yan Zhenqing's superb ability to form words. He handled the interweaving and evading between strokes, making every word present a harmonious beauty. The entire work was unified without losing its changes, full of vivid charm. Yan Qinli Stele had the characteristics of dignified and open-minded, relaxed and cheerful, the combination of movement and stillness, the combination of cleverness and awkwardness, and grace and generosity. The brush is horizontal, thin and vertical, thick and thick, hiding the head and protecting the tail, using both square and round, vigorous and powerful. The vertical painting takes the momentum of "facing each other". The vertical painting is thick and the goose tail is forked. The hook is like a bird's beak. The momentum between the dots is coherent. This stele emphasized laws and regulations, and it had the aura of the Great Tang. Yan Qinli Stele was one of Yan Zhenqing's representative works of regular script in his later years and was considered a treasure of his calligraphy art.
Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy was distinguished by its awe-inspiring, vigorous, and heroic style. His regular script was called Yan Style, which had a square and dense structure. It was light in horizontal strokes and heavy in vertical strokes. His strokes were vigorous and upright. Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy works were full of power and vitality. The strokes and lines were carefully arranged and sketched, giving people a majestic feeling. His calligraphy style was unique, with a backbone and a strong beauty. Yan Zhenqing's representative works included "Sacrificial Nephew Manuscript","Yan Family Temple Stele","Duobao Pagoda Stele" and so on. Among them,"Sacrificial Nephew Manuscript" was known as "the second cursive script in the world", showing the extraordinary style of Yan Zhenqing's cursive calligraphy. 'Yan Family Temple Stele' was one of his representative works in regular script. It was dignified and magnificent. The Pagoda Stele was Yan Zhenqing's early masterpiece. The regular script was square and the strokes were smooth. Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy works had become an important chapter in the history of Chinese calligraphy with its unique style and strokes.
Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy work,'Persuade Learning,' was a seven-character ancient poem. Through the description of the learning environment, this poem expressed the meaning that one should study hard when they were young, and study late when they were old. The poem exhorted teenagers to cherish their youth, study hard, and make a difference. Otherwise, it would be too late to regret when they reached old age. This poem was written by Yan Zhenqing to encourage future generations, showing his emphasis on learning and his attitude of cherishing time. Yan Zhenqing was a famous official and calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty. His calligraphy works were known as one of the "Four Masters of Regular Script".