Wang Xizhi (王羲之) (303—361), Chinese, Six Dynasties (220–589) A.D., courtesy name Yishao, was a Jin dynasty calligrapher revered as the "Sage of Calligraphy" (Shusheng). Born into the prestigious Langye Wang clan, he served as General of the Right Army and Governor of Kuaiji, earning the epithet "Wang Youjun." His work synthesized earlier traditions while revolutionizing script styles, replacing the austere Han-Wei aesthetic with a refined, fluid elegance. Mastery of regular (kaishu), running (xingshu), and cursive (caoshu) scripts culminated in his magnum opus, Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection (Lanting Xu), hailed as the "Greatest Running Script Masterpiece."

The original 28-line, 324-character composition, praised by Emperor Taizong of Tang for its "exquisite strokes and divine structure," is lost, though Tang-era facsimiles—notably Feng Chengsu’s Divine Dragon Copy—preserve its brilliance. Other surviving works like A Clear Day After Sudden Snow (Kuaixue Shiqing Tie) and Lamenting Turmoil (Sangluan Tie) exemplify his technical precision and emotional depth. Wang’s calligraphic canon remains foundational to East Asian brush art, shaping aesthetic principles for millennia.