Li Yong

CHINA, Jiangsu, Yangzhou; Tang dynasty

Li Yong, also known as Tai He, was a calligrapher who became the Imperial Administrator of the Beihai region, earning him the nickname Li Beihai. He was known to be bold and outspoken. Unfortunately, his no-nonsense style led to his eventual execution after a feud with Chancellor Li Linfu.
Li excelled in regular, semi-cursive, and cursive script calligraphy. He learned the calligraphy styles of Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi, and eventually developed his own bold, confident style. His calligraphy, scripted with forceful brushstrokes, exhibits characters that are inclined slightly to the right and densely composed. Li advocated for other calligraphers to develop their own personal style. He was one of the first calligraphers to write in running script, breaking the tradition of writing in regular script.
Li has produced over 800 inscriptions. His surviving works include the Stele of Lushan Temple, which is kept at the Yuelu Academy of Classical Learning in Hunan. Stele of Fahua Temple is located at Fahua Temple in Zhejiang. Several rubbings of his inscriptions remain today, including a set kept at the Suzhou Museum in Jiangsu.