The Portrait of Tomb Owner

Eastern Han (25–220). 180cm*260cm. Mural Painting in tomb of Han Dynasty, Anping, Hebei Province.

In the mural, the tomb owner sits on a couch under a canopy, strong and dignified, his eyes fixed ahead, ignoring the officials who salute him on his left. The mural shows that Eastern Han portraiture has reached a very high level. The portrait tries to reproduce the physical appearance and inner character of the person. The owner of the tomb appears here from the front, directly facing the viewer and attracting his or her full attention.

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.