The Multilayered Timelines of Ancient Paintings
This historical event is recorded in both the Records of the Grand Historian and Book of Han, with differences in how Emperor Wen of Han’s anger is portrayed. The Records of the Grand Historian notes, “His Majesty was angry and withdrew to the imperial palace,” while the Book of Han omits the return to the imperial palace. A Song dynasty court painter might have drawn the sources of this painting from a variety of texts, including the Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance.
Regardless of the sources or versions of the story the painter referenced, constructing the painting involved filling in many details. The court painter skillfully integrated several events from different timelines into a single scroll painting. On the surface, the painting depicts the scene where Yuan Ang advises the emperor while holding a hu. However, the painting also explains the roots of the conflict and the ideal outcome of the emperor accepting the advice. In terms of details, the truth is that chairs had not yet existed in Han dynasty, yet the dispute over seating arrangements, central to the story, was meticulously depicted by the artist using his contemporary experience to tell a story with lessons. Moreover, the imperial garden, Shanglin Park, which no longer existed at the time of the artist, had to be creatively reconstructed by him.