Art Analysis: Emperor Xuan Huben

Yan Liben was a prominent figure in Chinese art history, specializing in figure art. It was the most common art form in the Tang dynasty, and Liben’s artwork was primarily focused upon Chinese rulers. Displayed in Gardner's chapter twenty-three is one of his most significant pieces: Emperor Xuan and Attendants. It is one of the many details part of the full Thirteen Emperors scroll, depicting thirteen emperors and Chinese rulers. It is attributed to the Tang Dynasty, circa 650, and is manufactured through ink and color on silk — silk being the most popular material for a painting to be made of. As with calligraphy — which is also a common Islamic art form — silk was the most sought after material for the art to be created upon. Through a Confucian lens, the piece is interpreted to be a visual representation of the non-theistic religion’s fundamental principles. …show more content…
This compliments the painting with a naturalist perspective, and allows for individualization, which emphasizes one of the most important ideals of Confucianism: humaneness. Although, I will also argue that the painting actually diverges from naturalism, as the background is very generic, blank, and unclear. Hieratic scale is also used by the artist to depict the importance of each individual, with the Emperor at the highest level. In addition, the color black represents significance with regards to royalty, acknowledging Emperor Xuan as the highest identity. The ceremonial fans are being carried by two men at a lower hieratic scale than Xuan, and facing towards him, further adding to the work’s royal