Yan Liben

Yan Liben

Yan Liben (601-673) was born in Yongzhou Wannian (now Lintong District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province). During the Tang Dynasty, the prime minister and painter was the son of Yan PI, a young supervisor in the palace of the Sui Dynasty.

In the Sui Dynasty, Yan Liben became an official and moved to the court to be a scattered doctor and general. Tang Wude years, as the king of Qin (Li Shimin) Treasury direct. During the reign of Zhenguan, he served as the chief doctor and the criminal doctor, and moved to be a junior prison. Draw "six heroes of Zhaoling" and "Lingyan Pavilion" to supervise the construction of Cuiwei palace. In the first year of Xianqing (656), he served as a general craftsman and moved to minister of the Ministry of industry. In the first year of Zongzhang (668), the right Prime Minister of Jianxiao was conferred the title of male of Boling county. At that time, Jiang Ke was promoted to be prime minister Zuo by virtue of his military achievements. At that time, it was said that "the left Prime Minister Xuanwei desert, the right Prime Minister famous Danqing". Recommend the famous minister Di Renjie, tired of moving in the book. In the fourth year of Xianheng (November 14, 673), he died and gave it to Sikong.

Yan Liben is good at craft and skillful thinking. He is good at painting and architecture. My elder brother Yan Lide is good at painting and calligraphy, crafts and architectural engineering. Yan PI, Yan Lide and Yan Liben are famous for their craft and painting. Representative works such as the emperor's chariot.

Life of the characters

Born into a noble family

In the first year of Renshou (601), Emperor Wen of Sui Dynasty, Yan Liben was born into an aristocratic family. His grandfather was Yu Wenyong, Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou Dynasty, his mother was a princess of Qing Dynasty, and his father was Yan PI, a young supervisor in the palace of Sui Dynasty.

Step into the political path

During the reign of Wude, Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty, Yan Liben served as the head of the Treasury in the palace of Li Shimin, king of the Qin Dynasty. Kuzhi was a confidant who served the emperor. He had to be the son of a famous family, and he had to be a "talented person".

During the Zhenguan period of Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty (627-649), Yan Liben served as the chief doctor, the Minister of the Ministry of punishment and the general.

In 636, Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of Tang Dynasty ordered Yan Liben to draw a picture of the six horses he rode when he was fighting in all directions in memory of the martial arts of establishing the Empire of Tang Dynasty, and then carved them in stone and erected them in Zhaoling. That is the famous "Zhaoling six horses".

In 643, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin, in honor of the founding ministers of the Tang Dynasty, painted 24 portraits of such meritorious officials as changsun Wuji, Du Ruhui, Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng in Lingyan Pavilion, Taiji hall, Chang'an, Kyoto. He personally wrote praises, ordered Yan Liben to draw portraits and Chu suiliang to write praises.

In October of the 14th year of Tang Zhenguan (640), Songzan Ganbu sent an envoy to Chang'an to invite Princess Wencheng to Tibet. Emperor Taizong of Tang ordered Yan Liben to make the famous painting "walking chariot painting", which depicts the picture of Tubo Zanpu Songzanganbu inviting Princess Shang Wencheng to make ludongzan come to Chang'an to meet Emperor Taizong.

Cuiwei temple is located in Zhongnan Mountain in the south of Chang'an City in Tang Dynasty. It was originally built in 625, and was abandoned in 636.

In 646, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin, who was tired of the Forbidden City, ordered Yan Liben, a great craftsman, to renovate Cuiwei temple into Cuiwei palace.

Ren Xian uses energy

In the Yonghui period of Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty (649-655), Yan Liben met his long-term talents in bianzhou when he was appointed as the envoy of Daozhi in Henan Province. Yan Liben said to him, "I am a painter. In my heart, there are people who want to paint and people who don't want to paint. Among the people who want to paint, few people have the impulse to write at the first sight, and you are a very few people who have to paint."

Yan Liben thought that the man who had to draw was di Renjie. At that time, di Renjie was still a humble official who served in the army. However, he could not find a trace of fear in his eyes. He was very calm and calm. Yan Liben was impressed by his courage. Yan Liben later said frankly to his close officials: "I have never seen anyone who was staring at me but was not moved 。” Di Renjie was promoted to facao, the governor of Bingzhou. After that, his ambition was displayed and he became a famous official.

Famous

In the third year of Yonghui reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty (652), master Xuanzang, who translated Buddhist scriptures in dacien temple, built the pagoda and Dayan Pagoda in the West courtyard of dacien temple with the support of Emperor Gaozong in order to settle the statues brought back from India. Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty ordered Yan Liben to draw the plan and Buddha statue of dacien temple and engrave them under the four lintels at the bottom of the wild goose pagoda.

In the first year of Xianqing reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty (656), after Yan Lide died, Yan Liben succeeded him as a general craftsman. In the same year, he was promoted from being a great craftsman to minister of the Ministry of industry.

During the reign of Xianqing (656-661), Yan Liben's painting skills were constantly improved. The painting of drunken monks by Zhang sengyou of Liang Dynasty is very lifelike. Taoists often use it to laugh at monks. The monks were humiliated, so they collected hundreds of thousands of money and asked Yan Liben to draw the picture of drunken Taoist. These two paintings were handed down at the same time.

In the first year of Emperor Gaozong's reign (668), Yan Liben was promoted to the right prime minister and was granted the title of male Minister of Boling county. At that time, Jiang Ke was promoted to be the left prime minister by his military achievements, so it was said that "the left Prime Minister Xuanwei desert, the right Prime Minister famous Danqing".

In the first year of Xianheng (670), Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, Yan Liben moved to the middle of the country to write a decree. He died on the first day of Renwu in October of the fourth year of Xianheng (November 14, 673).

Main works

overview

Yan Liben is good at painting pavilions, chariots and horses, portraits, especially historical figure paintings and style paintings with major themes. There are sixty or seventy of his paintings mentioned in the records of famous paintings of the past dynasties, the records of famous paintings of the Tang Dynasty and Xuanhe painting manual.

According to the imperial edict, Yan Liben painted the painting of 24 meritorious officials in Lingyan Pavilion of Taiji hall. His paintings include the painting of the eighteen scholars of the Qin Dynasty, the painting of Wei Zheng's admonition, the painting of the Northern Qi school, the painting of fighting for treasure in a foreign country, the painting of Zhigong, the painting of the western regions, the painting of the Ming Dynasty, the painting of foreign countries, the painting of Yonghui courtiers, etc., and the paintings of emperors of all dynasties, the painting of Xiao Yi earning Orchid Pavilion, and the painting of walking chariot are still preserved. In addition to painting, Yan Liben is also good at poetry, such as "monks and Taoists worship the emperor and love the instrument" and "Wushan high".

Yan Liben's the true face of Taizong, the painting of eighteen scholars in Qin's palace and the painting of twenty-four meritorious officials in Lingyan Pavilion are vivid and vivid. They are famous works at that time, which were praised by people at that time as "Danqing deification".

Walking Chariot

The painting of walking chariot, painted on silk, is 38.5 cm in length and 139 cm in width. It is collected in the Palace Museum. This paper describes the scene of Tang Taizong Li Shimin's meeting with ludongzan, a Tibetan emissary who came to marry Princess Wencheng in 641. In the picture, Li Shimin is dignified and peaceful, sitting on the chariot carried by the palace maids, while several other palace maids hold umbrellas and fans for Taizong. There are three people standing on the left side of the picture: the red bearded one is the official of protocol in the palace, the one with Tibetan clothes is ludongzan, the Tibetan envoy, and the last one with white robes is the internal official. The author not only reproduces this event of great historical significance, but also vividly depicts the different identities, temperaments, manners and relationships of the characters, and has the characteristics of portrait painting.

Bu Nian Tu is a rare copy of Yan Liben's painting in Song Dynasty. There is a seal script inscription of song zhangyouzhi (Boyi) after this scroll, and there is also a view fund such as Mi Fu. There are seals collected by Jin Zhangzong, Wan Yanjing, Guo qujie and Wu Xinyu in Ming Dynasty, Liang Qingbiao, Nalan Chengde and Yongyan in Qing Dynasty. It has been recorded in Xuanhe Huapu, Qinghe shuhuafang, coral net, Shigutang shuhuahuikao and peiwenqi shuhuapu.

Pictures of Emperors

The painting of emperors in the past, colored in silk, 51.3 cm in length and 531 cm in width, is collected in Boston Art Museum, USA.

The whole picture depicts the images of 13 emperors. There are lists beside each emperor. Some also record his reign and his attitude towards Buddhism and Taoism. The painter not only pays attention to depicting the common characteristics, temperament and appearance of feudal rulers, but also successfully creates typical historical figures with outstanding personality according to the political actions and different environmental fates of each emperor, which reflects the author's evaluation of these emperors. The whole scroll is painted with iron thread. The pattern of clothes and beard are even, thin and straight. The color is thick and the halo is obvious. It is a masterpiece of ancient painting attainments and can be used as a sample of painting in the early Tang Dynasty.

Xiao Yi's Orchid Pavilion

The painting of Xiao Yi earning Orchid Pavilion is a silk edition, 65 cm wide and 28 cm high, which is collected in Liaoning Provincial Museum.

The whole picture is written by Yan Liben according to the story of Orchid Pavilion by he Yanzhi of the Tang Dynasty. It depicts the story that Xiao Yi, the imperial censor of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, cheated "preface to Orchid Pavilion collection", the best running script in the world, from the hands of Bian Cai, a disciple of the seventh generation of Wang Xizhi, to present it to Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. The painting shows Xiao Yi and Yuan Biancai asking for paintings. Xiao Yi is complacent, while the old monk's debating ability is tongue tied and dejected. There are two servants preparing tea on the tea stove beside him. The expressions of the characters are incisive.

Artistic features

Yan Liben's figure paintings are lifelike and vivid, which were known as the "Danqing myth" at that time. Realism pays attention to the description of personality, and most of them are based on historical events and figures, so as to draw lessons from the wise and stupid, and promote the great cause of governing the country. Yan Liben's line drawing department is vigorous and mellow. His clothes are concise and heavy, and the colors are thicker than those of the previous generation. He often uses cinnabar, stone green, and sometimes precious mineral materials such as gold and silver.

It is said that Yan Liben's works have been preserved until now, which are the important works of ancient painters trying to express their personality. The scroll contains the portraits of thirteen Emperors: Liu Fuling, Emperor Zhaowen of the Western Han Dynasty, Liu Xiu, Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty, Cao Pi of the Wei Dynasty, Liu Bei, Lord Shu, Sun Quan of the Wu Dynasty, Sima Yan, Emperor Jinwu, Qian of the Chen Dynasty, Xu of the Chen Dynasty, Bo Zong of the Chen Dynasty, Shu Bao, Emperor Houzhu of the Chen Dynasty, Yu Wenyong, Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, Yang Jian of the Sui Dynasty, and Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty.

Yan Liben successfully portrayed the personal characters of these emperors, which not only showed his understanding of them, but also showed his evaluation of them.

According to historical records, Cao Pi, Emperor Wen of Wei Dynasty, was well-informed and had both talent and skill; Sima Yan, Emperor Wu of Jin Dynasty, was deep and measured; Yu Wenyong, Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou Dynasty, was rough and strong, but had great strategic ability

Chinese PinYin : Yan Li Ben