Author: Yan Liben Year of creation: Tang Dynasty Specifications: 51.3cm×531cm Material: Silk, Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA
The Emperors of the Past dynasties is a large silk painting painted by Yan Liben, a painter of the early Tang Dynasty of China. The painting depicts the images of 13 emperors who had different deeds between Han and Sui in history, and these 13 emperors are in historical order: Former Han Zhao Emperor Liu Fuling, Han Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiu, Wei Wen Emperor Cao Pi, Wu Lord Sun Quan, Shu Lord Liu Bei, Jin Wu Emperor Sima Yan, Chen Xuan Emperor Chen Huan, Chen Wen Emperor Chen Xuan, Chen Fu Emperor Chen Bozong, Chen Hou Lord Chen Shubao, Northern Zhou Wu Emperor Yuwen Yong, Sui Wen Emperor Yang Jian, Sui Emperor Yang Guang.
Former Han Zhao Emperor Liu Fuling
Emperor Guangwu of Han Guangwu Liu Xiu
Emperor Sima Yan of Jinwu
The painter does not take the "Ying Rui" legend of the previous king of the Han Dynasty as the basis for depicting the scene, nor does it resemble the way of depicting the character scenes in the Painting of the Tang Dynasty, but in accordance with a certain pattern of dress etiquette, coupled with the use of clothing utensils, sitting posture, facial expression, facial features and eyebrows, and attendant posture that can highlight personality, the character and temperament of the emperor described in the history books are fully reflected, so that the whole picture scroll is both unified and changed.
Chen Xuandi Chen Yan
Emperor Wen of Chen
Emperor Chen Bozong of Chen
Those kings who opened the dynasty and established the dynasty all embodied the "kingly temperament" and "great and beautiful manners" in the painter's pen; while those who fainted or perished in the country showed a state of triviality and corruption. The painter has a praise and a dislike for each image in the work, and this praise and criticism is in turn in the character and spiritual temperament of each emperor.
Emperor Wen of Wei Cao Pi
For example, through depictions of facial details and demeanor, the painter depicts three monarchs of the Three Kingdoms era—Cao Pi, emperor of Wei, Sun Quan of Wu, and Liu Bei, lord of Shu. Emperor Cao Pi of Wei was the son of Cao Cao, the chancellor of the late Eastern Han Dynasty, and had accompanied Cao Cao in his southern expeditions to the north since childhood. In 220, Cao Pi forced Liu Xie, the Eastern Han Emperor, to abdicate the throne and became the founding emperor of Cao Wei, reigning for seven years. He is also a famous literary scholar and a representative figure of Jian'an literature. In Yan Liben's pen, Cao Pi looks brave and martial, magnificent, and aggressive.
Wu Lord Sun Quan
Sun Quan, the lord of Wu, was known for his cleverness and wisdom, and his good use of scheming, Cao Cao once lamented: "When you have a son, you should be like Sun Zhongmou!" Sun Quan declared himself emperor in 229 and established the Eastern Wu regime, reigning for 24 years. Sun Quan in the picture, elegant and generous, round face and fine eyes, smiling, looking safe. It embodies the monarch who divides the world, governs the country well, and has a peaceful temperament. The action of waving the feather fan in the painting reflects Sun Quan's resourcefulness and ambition.
Lord Of Shu Liu Bei
Among the three, The Shu lord Liu Bei was the oldest and had the most bumpy experience. He had the ambition to revive the Han Dynasty, but his strength was insufficient, and his ambitions could not be realized. In 221 AD, after hearing rumors that Emperor Xian of Han had been killed, he established the Shu Han regime and reigned for 3 years. Liu Bei in the painting, although his demeanor does not lose the true color of the emperor, but the depressed and tired look between his eyebrows shows the characteristics of his weakness although he is not faint. The attendant on the left carefully supported him; the attendant on the right, looking sideways at his exhausted lord, seemed to have a hint of sadness on his face.
Chen Hou Lord Chen Shubao
Emperor Wu of northern Zhou Yuwen Yong
Although the "Emperors of the Past Dynasties" is a facsimile of later generations, it basically retains the characteristics of the figure paintings of the early Tang Dynasty. Each emperor was drawn in an independent group, and generally had two attendants drawn, with the least one and the maximum painting of ten. The change in the number of waiters, as well as the interspersed interspersing of imperial standing and seated statues, broke the rigidity of the full-volume composition. The size of the waiter is significantly shorter than that of the emperor, reflecting the characteristics of early Chinese figure paintings in terms of size to symbolize the dignity and inferiority of the figures.
Emperor Wen of Sui Yang Jian
Sui Dynasty Emperor Yang Guang
The characters of "The Emperors of the Past Dynasties" are depicted in fine detail, the lines are round and smooth, the colors are heavy, and the colors are rich and elegant, which is a representative work of Tang Dynasty painting. At the same time, the works use heavy color and the method of smudging and dyeing clothes, which has the influence of Buddhist art.
Text and pictures come from the Internet