Yan liben biography of williams

Yan Liben, Wade-Giles romanization Yen Li-pen (born c. 600—died 673), one of the most famous Chinese figure painters in the early years of the Tang dynasty (618–907).

Yan was a high official within the imperial court, but his fame derives from his skill as a painter.

He is recorded as having painted Buddhist and Daoist subjects and as having received various imperial commissions; but among the extant works attributed to him, the most important is the hand scroll Portraits of the Emperors, which depicts a series of emperors selected from about the preceding 800 years of history (only the last seven of the portraits are original; the first six were copies of earlier works).

Yan Liben has imbued them with subtly defined characters through a tightly controlled line and limited use of colour.

Yan liben biography of williams

His brother, Yan Lide (閻立德), was also a famous official and painter. (www.britannica.com)