Liu Gongquan (778-865), courtesy name Chengxuan, Han nationality, was from Jingzhao Huayuan (now Yaozhou District, Tongchuan City, Shaanxi Province). He was a famous calligrapher and poet in the Tang Dynasty and the younger brother of Liu Gongchuo, Minister of War. He served as an official in the seven dynasties of Xian, Mu, Jing, Wen, Wu, Xuan and Yi. He was promoted to Prince Shaoshi and was granted the title of Duke of Hedong County. He became an official as Prince Taibao and was known as "Liu Shaoshi" in his later life. In the sixth year of Xiantong (865), Liu Gongquan passed away at the age of eighty-eight and was given to the prince and grand master.
Liu Gongquan's calligraphy is famous for his regular script. He is as famous as Yan Zhenqing and is known as "Yan Liu". He is also known as the "Four Masters of Regular Script" together with Ouyang Xun, Yan Zhenqing and Zhao Mengfu. He first learned calligraphy from Wang Xizhi. Later, he looked at the calligraphy of famous calligraphers in the Tang Dynasty and thought that the calligraphy of Yan Zhenqing and Ouyang Xun was the best, so he absorbed the strengths of Yan and Ou. Between the Jin people's charm and Yan Shu's grace and majesty, he created his own "Liu" "Physical body", famous for its strong bones, and later generations had the reputation of "Yan Jin Liu Gu". Liu Gongquan is also a poet. Five of his poems are preserved in "The Complete Poems of the Tang Dynasty" and one poem is preserved in "The Complete Poems of the Tang Dynasty".
