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Why are Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi important in the history of Chinese calligraphy?

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Chinese sculpture during the Han dynasty examined — Chinese art A discussion of Chinese art, from the documentary *China: West Meets East at the Metropolitan Museum of Art*.

Wang Xizhi and his son Wang Xianzhi are considered the greatest exponents of Chinese calligraphy, serving as the primary models for generations of calligraphers.12

Wang Xizhi (c. 303–361) is the most celebrated figure in the history of the art. He is particularly renowned for his mastery of xingshu, or "running script," a style he developed by relaxing the structural tension of the regular script to allow for fluid brush movement between characters. His most famous work, the Lantingxu, remains the definitive model for this style.12

Wang Xianzhi (344–386), the youngest son of Wang Xizhi, is recognized as the most famous calligrapher among the subsequent generations of his family. Together, the father and son established a standard of artistic transformation that no later calligrapher has ever surpassed. While few of their original works survive, their influence has been preserved through centuries of imitations, stone engravings, and woodblock rubbings.12