Zhao Yan
Tang noble, skilled painter of figures
Zhao Yan(赵喦), originally named Lin(霖), later changed to Yan(喦), was from Wanqu in Chenzhou (now Huaiyang County, Henan). His birth and death years are unknown. He was the second son of Zhao Chou(赵犨), the military governor of Zhongwu during the late Tang Dynasty. In the early Kai Ping period, he was appointed as a Commander of the Imperial Son-in-law Guard. He was the son-in-law of Zhu Wen, the founding emperor of Later Liang, and the husband of Princess Changle. He was good at painting, skilled in appraisal, and had a rich collection. Later, due to political struggles, he was taken by Wen Tao to the Later Tang and killed. His works, such as "Illustrated Biographies of the Western Regions in the Book of Han," "Figures with Falcon," and "Falcon Hunting in Wuling," are recorded in the "Xuanhe Painting Catalog." One of his surviving works is "Horse Training," which is now housed in the Shanghai Museum.