Who is considered the greatest calligrapher in Chinese history, known as the “Sage of Calligraphy”? Wang Xizhi is the standard answer.
Wang Xizhi lived during the Eastern Jin dynasty (c. 303–361) and became celebrated for his mastery of regular, semi-cursive, and cursive scripts. His reputation grew especially during the Tang dynasty, when Emperor Taizong promoted his work as the ideal model for calligraphers.
His most famous composition is the Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion, written in 353 after a gathering of scholars and friends. The original is lost, but later tracing copies and rubbings preserved its influence. Because of his unmatched posthumous reputation, he was given the title “Sage of Calligraphy.”
A common mix-up is Wang Xianzhi, his son, who was also a major calligrapher and part of the celebrated “Two Wangs.” Ouyang Xun, Yan Zhenqing, and Su Shi were influential later masters, but they are not the usual answer to this title.