Zhang Zhi (calligrapher)

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Zhang Zhi (張芝) was a Chinese calligrapher during the Han dynasty who died in 192. He was born in Jiuquan, Gansu, and was the eldest son of the military general Zhang Huan; his younger brother Zhang Chang was also a famous calligrapher. Zhang Zhi is remembered as a pioneer of the cursive script and is often called the Sage of Cursive Script. He is regarded as one of the Four Talented Calligraphers in Chinese history. No authentic works of his have survived to the present. A famous saying attributed to him is "Too busy to write cursively," which suggests that writing fast cursive requires a calm mind. His influence helped shape later calligraphy, and his family line continued to be skilled in cursive writing.