Yang Zihua
Master of Northern Qi court figures
Yang Zihua(杨子华) was a painter from the Northern Qi dynasty. He once served as General of the Direct Pavilion and External Cavalry Attendant, and was the court painter for Emperor Gao Zhan of Northern Qi, earning him the title 'Sage of Painting.' He was skilled in painting court figures, palace gardens, and horses, with a style that was rich and full, quite different from Gu Kaizhi’s elegant and delicate approach, and he played a role in influencing Tang dynasty painting. 'The Northern Qi Calligraphy Review' is the only surviving Song dynasty copy of his work. His representative work, 'The Northern Qi Calligraphy Review,' depicts Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi, Gao Yang, ordering a calligraphy inspection. It's currently at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The figures in the painting are lively, with fine and strong lines, simple and elegant coloring, and egg-shaped faces, similar in style to the murals in the tomb of Lou Rui of Northern Qi. Scholars speculate that the murals in Lou Rui’s tomb might be his originals. Tang dynasty painter Yan Liben once praised his work as 'perfectly marvelous.' Su Shi’s line 'There is none like Yang Zihua in the world today' shows that his peony-themed works were also highly regarded, and his depiction of horses influenced the tomb murals of Li Shou in the early Tang period.