Names, dynasties, and works of famous ancient Chinese painters
Yan Liben
Yan Liben (?-673) was a Tang painter. A native of Yongzhou Wannian (now Xi'an, Shaanxi Province). Liben inherited his family education and was appointed as a general minister in Xianqing Zhong. He served as a doctor in charge, minister of the Ministry of Industry, right minister and Zhongshu Ling. He was sometimes known as "the right minister is famous for his paintings". He is good at calligraphy and painting of figures, carriages and horses, and pavilions.
His father, Yan Bi, and his brother, Li De, were famous for their paintings, craftsmanship and construction projects. Yan Liben's painting masters were Yang Qidan, Zheng Fashi, Dong Boren, Zhan Ziqian and his father in the Sui Dynasty. He also traced back to Zhang Sengyao and "transformed the past into the present", representing the style of the Central Plains region in the early Tang Dynasty.
Yan Liben is good at painting pavilions, carriages and horses, and portraits, especially historical figure paintings and style paintings with major themes. According to historical records, sixty or seventy of his paintings can be found in "Records of Famous Paintings of the Past Dynasties", "Records of Famous Paintings of the Tang Dynasty", and "Xuanhe Painting Book". Pictures of Eighteen Scholars", "Pictures of Emperors of Past Dynasties", "Pictures of Xiao Yi earning his fortune at Orchid Pavilion", "Pictures of Coming from Foreign Countries", "Pictures of Official Tributes" and "Pictures of a Chariot", etc. Among them, the more reliable ones that have been handed down to this day include "The Picture of the Walking Chariot", "The Picture of the Tribute", "The Picture of the Emperors of the Past Dynasties" and "The Picture of Xiao Yi's Orchid Pavilion".
Left picture: The upper picture of "Moving Chariot" is in color on silk and is now in the Palace Museum. It depicts the scene when Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty received the Tibetan envoy Lu Dongzan who came to marry Princess Wencheng. This picture has no inscription, but there is an inscription in the seal script of Zhangzhi (Boyi) of the Song Dynasty at the back of the volume, as well as inscriptions by Mi Fu and others. According to expert appraisal, this is a Northern Song Dynasty copy. The author uses thin and strong lines to shape the characters, which has the characteristics of early portraits. The lines are smooth, the colors are bright and calm, and the characters' expressions and expressions are more successfully depicted. The hair style and clothing of the characters all have the characteristics of the early Tang Dynasty.
"Pictures of Emperors of the Past Dynasties", ink and color on silk, now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA. The work depicts the portraits of thirteen emperors from Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty to Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty. The painter not only paid attention to the image of each emperor, but also paid attention to their different personality traits. The characters in the painting are all drawn with iron lines, the lines are thin and straight, and the contrasting colors of red, black and white are used in the layout, with soft smudges, reflecting the context of figure painting in the Southern and Northern Dynasties.
The works that are said to be Yan Liben's figure paintings include "Zong Gong Tu" and "Xiao Yizhuo Orchid Pavilion Tu". "Zong Gong Tu" is now in the collection of the National Palace Museum in Taipei. It is a Song Dynasty copy. It depicts the scene at that time when "all the nations came to court and hundreds of barbarians paid tribute", and the characters "did everything they could to earn favors".
"The Picture of Xiao Yi Earning the Orchid Pavilion" depicts the story of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty sending the censor Xiao Yi to Kuaiji to defraud the authentic copy of Wang Xizhi's "Preface to the Orchid Pavilion", which was treasured by monk Bicai. There are two copies in existence, one is in the National Palace Museum in Taipei and the other is in the Liaoning Provincial Museum. According to expert research, one is a Northern Song Dynasty copy and the other is a Southern Song Dynasty copy. There is a long postscript by Ming Dynasty painter Wen Zhengming at the back of this volume collected by Liao Bo, which is regarded as an authentic work.
Regardless of the content or form, this volume successfully reveals the inner spiritual world of the characters and presents their different character traits. From the analysis of painting style, this picture is also more consistent with the records of "Bo Ling's brushwork is meticulous" stated in Huang Bosi's "East View Yu Lun" of the Song Dynasty and "all are colored and detailed" stated in Mi Fu's "History of Painting". Accordingly, although this work is determined to be a Song copy, it has certain reference value for measuring Yan Liben's artistic achievements and appreciating the style of figure painting after the Mid-Tang Dynasty. (Written by China Famous Painters Network)