Chapter 18 Section III Wu Daozi, a generation of painters

From the Six Dynasties to the Sui Dynasty, Chinese painting formed a vibrant and colorful situation in the Tang Dynasty.The emergence of great painters, the emergence of new schools of painting, the establishment of national styles, and the absorption of foreign techniques are all signs of the prosperity of painting in the Tang Dynasty.During this period, Buddhist themes still made up a large proportion of paintings.Therefore, many great painters are related to Buddhism, and almost all of them paint paintings with Buddhist themes, which is similar to the situation in the Six Dynasties.The following is a brief introduction to several painters.

Zheng Fashi, a native of Suzhou, was an official in the Northern Zhou Dynasty and a doctor of Zhongsan in the Sui Dynasty.Li Sizhen of the Tang Dynasty spoke highly of his paintings, thinking that he was unique in Jiangzuo at that time.People in the Tang Dynasty have seen his "Portrait of Ashoka", "Sui Wendi Entering the Buddha Hall" and "Spring Tour" and so on.He often went to temples to paint, and was open-minded and eager to learn, which was highly respected by the people of the time. Yan Liben, a native of Jingzhao Wannian (Lintong, Shaanxi Province) in the Tang Dynasty, was born around 601 AD and died in 673 AD.His father, Yan Pi, was an official in the Sui Dynasty; his elder brother, Yan Lide, was a famous painter, craftsman and engineering expert in the early Tang Dynasty.During Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, Yan Liben replaced Yan Lide as Minister of Industry as a master craftsman, and was later promoted to Prime Minister You. He was the first prime minister painter in Chinese history.According to the biography of "Old Tang Book", once, when Li Shimin and his officials were boating in Chunyuan Pond, they saw different birds swimming on the surface of the pool. When they were happy, they ordered the officials to compose poems and the painter Yan Liben to paint.Yan Liben felt very humiliated when he saw other people composing poems while he was coloring and painting like a servant. He went home and warned his sons not to paint, saying that painting was a lowly thing.Although he mistakenly regards painting as a dirty thing, he still loves painting.Therefore, when he became the right prime minister, people sneered and said: "The left prime minister Xuanwei Desert, the right prime minister is famous for Danqing." At that time, the left prime minister Jiang Ke was famous for his martial arts.Yan Liben is good at painting portraits.His "Buying Chariot Picture" is now in the Museum of Chinese History, and it depicts the scene where Emperor Taizong of Tang received Lu Dongzan, the envoy of Tubo Songtsan Gampo.This painting has been highly praised by artists of all ages.Another surviving authentic work "Picture of Emperors of Past Dynasties" is in the Boston Museum in the United States.He described the spiritual outlook of 13 emperors with superb skills and realistic techniques.Yan Liben was influenced by Buddhism, which is mainly manifested in his open-mindedness and eagerness to learn, and his wide-ranging learning.He not only inherited his father and brother's family education, but also devoted himself to learning from his predecessors.There is such a story: Yan Liben once went to Jingzhou to see Zhang Sengyou's paintings. On the first day he saw Zhang Sengyou's paintings, he said that they "deserved the name"; , Said "there is no one under the name".So he stayed under the painting and watched and studied it for more than ten days.We know that Zhang Sengyao is good at painting Buddhist paintings, and he is also a master of "concave and convex flowers" in Tianzhu. The paintings Yan Liben saw in Jingzhou probably refer to the Buddha statues he painted in Tianhuang Temple.

Yuchi Yiseng, a native of Hotan, Xinjiang, whose father was an official in the Sui Dynasty, was one of the famous painters of the Sui Dynasty.Yuchi Yiseng was recommended to go to Beijing by the then King of Khotan in his youth, which was in the early Tang Dynasty.Afterwards, he was highly valued by the Tang Dynasty, and he was appointed an official and a noble, with a prominent position.His paintings are mainly good at Buddhist paintings.At that time, the large temples in Chang'an and Luoyang, such as Ci'en Temple, Guangbao Temple, Xingtang Temple, Dayun Temple, etc., could see his murals.He is good at painting statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, as well as portraits of people, flowers, birds and animals.Zhang Yanyuan's "Famous Paintings of Past Dynasties" has a detailed record of his painting activities: after 677 AD, he painted murals such as "Conquering the Devil" in the East Bodhi Courtyard of Guangbao Temple in Chang'an; around 702, he painted at the south gate of the Pagoda of Ci'en Temple Painted the mural of "Manjusri with Thousand Bowls"; painted in Xingtang Temple in Chang'an after 705; painted in Anguo Temple in Chang'an around 710.Yuchi Yiseng has painted "Western Pure Land Change" many times. This painting is centered on Amitabha Buddha. There are Avalokitesvara and Mahasthama Bodhisattvas on the left and right. There are noisy music and dancing scenes. trees and more.The scene is very warm and holy. It is not only the ideal western pure land, but also a portrayal of life in the prosperous world in reality.His paintings were very famous at that time, and it is said that a screen he painted was "worth one hundred thousand gold".His paintings have their own school. Zhu Jingxuan said in "Tang Dynasty Famous Paintings": "Every painting of meritorious figures, flowers and birds are foreign objects, not Chinese prestige." It can be seen that he is spreading Western painting techniques (including Indian painting techniques) ) contributions.

Wu Daozi, a native of Yuxian County, Henan Province, was renamed Daoxuan for him by Tang Xuanzong.There are many theories about the year of his birth and death, but the general saying is that he lived in the prosperous Tang Dynasty of Xuanzong Dynasty.When he was young, his family was poor, and he learned calligraphy from a great calligrapher. When he failed, he changed to painting and became a master.Regarding Wu Daozi's deeds, there are more detailed records in Tang Dynasty's "Famous Paintings of Past Dynasties", "Tang Dynasty Famous Paintings", "Tang Paintings" and other books. In addition, there are many mentions in Tang and Song notes and monk biographies. And, and some legends are very magical.This shows that Wu Daozi was indeed the most respected and accomplished painter at that time, so he was revered as the "Painting Saint" about a hundred years after his death.His paintings had such a great influence that even Du Fu, a famous poet in the Tang Dynasty, once praised his paintings in his poems and called them "predecessors".In the last year of Tianbao (756 A.D.), Du Fu wrote a poem "Visiting the Temple of Emperor Xuanyuan in the North of Luocheng in Winter". Wu Shengyuan is good at playing. The axis of the earth is moved, and the palace wall is moved wonderfully. The five sages are united with dragons, and thousands of officials are lined up with geese. The crowns are all beautiful, and the banners are flying." Wu Daozi often painted in temples. According to Tang Dynasty Zhu Jingxuan "Tang "Records of Famous Paintings of the Dynasty" said: "Every painting of figures, Buddha statues, gods and ghosts, animals, landscapes, temples, plants, and trees are all unrivaled in the world, and the country is the first." There are more than 300 pictures on the walls of the temple, and there are people in disguise, with strange traces and shapes, and there is no one who is the same. Tangxing Temple Royal Annotation Vajra Sutra Academy in Shangdu has many wonderful traces and self-inscribed scriptures. Manjusri in front of the pagoda of Ci’en Temple Samantabhadra, the walls of the magic pan and dragon descending from the west verandah, the hells of Jinggong Temple, Emperor Shi, Brahma King, and Dragon God, the three gates and two gods in Yongshou Temple, and various Taoist temples are indescribable, and they are all wonderful for a time." He also said. "Jing Xuan Yuan and Chu Ying lived in Longxing Temple. There is still an old man Yin, who is more than eighty years old. He said: "Wu Sheng painted the god inside the gate of Xingshan Temple. During the Yuanguang period, the old and young people came to the Chang'an market, and there was a crowd of viewers. It has a round light, and it is like a wind. Everyone calls it God's help." Wu Daozi's paintings have not been preserved, and there is a picture of "Heavenly King Sending His Son" which is a copy of his handwriting by later generations.This painting tells the story of Sakyamuni being born, his father Jingfan King and his mother Maya Madame carried him to the Great Freedom Temple.The images of King Jingfan and Mrs. Maya in the picture have been sinicized, and they are completely the images and attires of Han emperors and queens.In short, Wu Daozi, as a generation of painters, made great contributions to the art of the Tang Dynasty, and is a rare genius in the history of Chinese painting.

In addition to the above-mentioned figures, there were also some great painters in the Tang and Five Dynasties, such as Sun Wei (also known as Sun Yu), Wang Wei, Zhou Wenju, Wang Qihan, Jing Hao, etc., who were good at painting with Buddhist themes.