Yang Qidan

CHINA; Sui dynasty

Yang Qidan was a renowned painter who was skilled in painting Buddhist and Daoist figures and stories. According to Famous Paintings in History, when Zheng Fashi asked Yang for his sketchbooks, Yang replied while pointing to the various clothing, horses, and carriages surrounding them: “These are my sketchbooks.” This implied his emphasis on the authenticity of his depictions, which realistically reflect the lifestyle and customs of people during his time.
Famous Paintings in History also recorded his mural paintings in Changan, Xijing (present day Xi’an, Shaanxi), including the illustration of Life of the Buddha - Parinirvana at Baocha Temple, Illustration of the Abhiniskramana Sutra on the four exterior faces of the Seven Treasures Pagoda at Dayun Temple, and murals at Kaiye Temple and Yongtai Temple. His other works, as recorded in Overview of Painting and Painting Annals of the Zhenguan Period, include Sui Emperor Meeting Ethnic Representatives and Emperor Visiting Luoyang. But his name is not mentioned in Xuanhe Catalog of Paintings, indicating that his works were rarely seen by the late Song dynasty.