Yan Liben
Master of Tang portrait painting
Yan Liben (601-673) was from Wanning in Yongzhou (present-day Xi'an, Shaanxi). He was the son of Yan Pi, a minor official in the palace during the Sui dynasty, and later became a politician, chancellor, and painter during the Tang dynasty. Yan Liben came from a noble family, inherited his family's learning, and was skilled in painting, crafts, and architecture, as well as being talented in politics. During Emperor Yang of Sui's reign (605-617), he held the positions of Court Attendant and Assistant Director of Imperial Works. In the Wude period (618-626) of Emperor Gaozu of Tang, he served in the Qin Prince’s mansion as a steward, and during Emperor Taizong’s reign (627-649), he was the Gentleman for Titles and Deputy Minister of Justice. In the first year of Emperor Gaozong’s reign, Xianqing (656), after his older brother Yan Lide passed away, Yan Liben succeeded him as Chief Officer of Imperial Works. In the same year, he was promoted to Minister of Public Works. In the first year of the Zongzhang era (668), Yan Liben was promoted to Right Chancellor. At that time, Jiang Ke was appointed Left Chancellor for his military achievements, leading people to say, 'The Left Chancellor wields power in the desert, the Right Chancellor excels in painting.' Yan Liben passed away in the fourth year of Xianheng (673) at the age of seventy-three. Yan Liben’s paintings covered Daoist and Buddhist subjects, portraits, landscapes, and animals, but he was especially famous for his portrait paintings. His works included 'Eighteen Scholars of Qin Mansion,' 'Twenty-Four Merit Officials of Lingyan Pavilion,' as well as 'Foreigners,' 'Officials of the Yonghui Era,' 'Portraits of Zhaoling Mausoleum,' and 'Portraits of Emperors Through the Ages.' In art, Yan Liben continued and developed the excellent traditions of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. His works were richly expressive, far surpassing the standards of the Northern and Southern Dynasties and the Sui dynasty, earning him the reputation of 'divine in painting' and 'the model for the world,' giving him an important place in the history of painting.