郭尚先，字元開，號蘭石，又號伯抑父，福建莆田人，生於乾隆五十年(1785)。嘉慶十二年(1807)舉鄉試第一，十四年(1809)成進士。歷充國史館纂修、文穎館總纂修，與修《大清一統志》、《治河方略》等書，又充《明鑑》纂修、文淵閣校理校習兩科庶吉士。曾典貴州、雲南、廣束鄉試。道光八年(1828)視學四川，十年（1830）遷贊善，十一年(1831)遷洗馬侍讀、庶子學士，又尋擢光祿卿。道光十二年典山東鄉試，十二月二十九日子時(1833)以微疾，終大理寺卿，享年四十八歲。著作有《進奉文》、《經筵講義》、《增默庵文集》、《增默庵詩集》、《芳堅館題跋》、《使黔日記》、《使蜀日記》、《芳堅館印存》等。郭尚先一生最大的成就在於書法，然而不僅其書佳，同時書論也有可觀之處。有專門論述歷代書法的著作一《芳堅館題跋》，尚有許多散逸在各處闡述書學觀念的片片斷斷，其中涉及的層面與命題相當寬廣，因此探討其書學觀念可以看出清中葉書論的側面，有益於瞭解當時盛行的書學思想。特別是郭尚先被納人於臺灣書法的一環，對其書學觀念的研究可以瞭解他對臺灣書法的意義。

Guo Shang-Xian (郭尚先), whose sobriquets are Yuan-Kai (元開), Lan-Shi (蘭石) and Bo-Yi-Fu (伯抑父), came from Putian county in Fujian (福建莆田) and was born in 1785. He was first in the provincial- level examination in 1807, and was a successful candidate in the more advanced examination held in the capital in 1809. He had been an editor in the bur. of national history, a chief editor in Bur. Wen-Ying (文穎閣), moreover, a jiao-li (校理) and jiao-xi (校習) in Wen-yuan-ge (文淵閣). Besides, he had taken charge of the examinations held in Gui-zhou (貴州), Yun-nan (雲南) and Shan-dong (山東). He went to Si-chuan (四川) to inspect the schools in 1828 and then served as a Zan-shan (贊善) in 1830. In 1831, he was transferred to the post Xian-ma (洗馬待讀), Shu-zi (庶子) and Guang-lu-qing (光祿卿). Unfortunately Guo Shang-Xia died aged 48 in 1833. His works includes Essays Jin-fon (進奉文), Handouts Jing-yian(經筵講義), Zeng-mo-an Antholopy(增默庵討、文集), Afterwords Fan g-jian-guan (芳堅館題跋), The Diaiy in Qian (使黔日記), The Diaiy in Shu (使蜀日記), Seals in Fang-jian-guan (芳堅館印存) and so on. The first achievement of Guo Shang-Xian (郭尚先) is in calligraphy. He not only excels in writing but has good ideals of calligraphy theory. The subjects treated of Chinese calligraphy in Afterwords Fang-jian-guan (芳堅館題跋) and other essays are various. Therefore, studying calligraphy opinions of Guo Shang-Xian (郭尚先) would be beneficial to give us clear about the prevailing conceptions of calligraphy in the middle period of Qing Dynasty. Furthermore, we also could know how important he is in the calligraphy history of Taiwan when he is considered a calligraphist in Taiwan.