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| The "Portraits of Four Scholars", created
during the Yuan dynasty in circa 1323-1333 CE, embodies philosophical ideals of Confucianism. Made from ink and paper, this artwork shows two
pairs of scholars in similar poses. A colophon by Su Changling, written in 1354, identifies
the four subjects as neo-Confucian scholars. From left to right, they are Wu Wenzhend
[Wu Cheng], Yu Meian [Yu Ji], Ouyang Guizhai [Ouyang Xuan], and Jie Manshi [Jie Xisi].
The detailed countenance of each figure "documents a lifetime of intellectual
development and Confucian self-cultivation." [1] Like the Relief from the Wu Family Shrine, the order, structure, and proportion of this painting are immediately apparent. The four figures are evenly spaced across the painting, and each has roughly the same dimensions (height and width). The postures of the figures are inactive, revealing a state of contentment and inner peace. All the figures are slightly turned and are facing the same direction. The background is left undecorated in order to focus the viewer's attention on the scholars. They wear the distinctive caps of scholars and their faces are highly detailed, as opposed to their generic clothing. The purpose of this painting is to promote Confucianism as a state ideology, and embodies the concept expressed in a verse from the Analects:
We can conclude that these four figures were all "neighbors", whose pursuit of virtue and wisdom had brought them together. The irony is that although their lives overlapped, we do not whether they in fact ever met one another. The painting does, however, shows that they were "neighbors" in thought. This concept was very attractive to rulers who followed Confucian philosophy, since it helped to unify their subjects based on a common ideology, regardless of where they lived. |
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| In addition, the inactive postures and concentrated facial expressions of the
scholars display Confucian themes. The age of the men, as
seen in their detailed facial expressions, is emphasized to show that they are men of mature wisdom. This imagery parallels the
following verse from Confucius' Analects:
On the one hand, this verse details the open-minded, yet concentrated mental condition of the ideal Confucian scholar, who focuses on what he knows is right. As each scholar stands with a focused countenance, his facial appearance becomes a reflection of one's own inner character so that each represents the Confucian model of self-cultivation. On the other hand, by standing motionless, each scholar's inactive posture also portrays the proper mental condition of intellectual development[4]. This sensitive treatment of the scholars reveals a veneration of age, wisdom, and the ideals of Confucian virtue. In Confucius' ideal society, morality and empathy are the basic standards of all human conduct. Through intellectual growth and self-cultivation, the individual is expected to achieve moderation, reciprocity, and self-control. The "Portraits of Four Scholars" thus serves as a model of these Confucian attributes. |
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