The Fight over the Two Peaches Killing Three Warriors

The Fight over the Two Peaches Killing Three Warriors tells the story of three renowned warriors from the state of Qi: Gongsun Jie, Tian Kaijiang and Gu Yezi. As their fame grew, the three became arrogant and oppressive, posing a threat to the ruler of Qi. Prime Minister Yan Ying devised a plan to eliminate them: he granted two peaches to the three warriors and had them compete for the peaches based on their achievements. As expected, Gongsun Jie and Tian Kaijiang fought over the peaches consumed by their own greed and felt ashamed of themselves, leading them to commit suicide. Following suit, Gu Yezi also emulated his friends and took his own life. The painter of the story was not interested in the ethical implications and tragic ending but focused on depicting the characters of the warriors. Using a comic-style technique, the painter portrayed the exaggerated postures and facial expressions of the "three warriors," vividly reflecting their haughty and overbearing personalities.

This piece is compiled from the Chinese edition of Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting by Foreign Languages Press and Yale University Press, translated by Chen Ying.