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Plate 6.21 Anonymous, Early Court
Audience (Zaochao tu 早朝圖), Ming
dynasty, 17th century. Hanging
scroll, ink and colours on silk, height
102.4cm, width 140cm. The Palace
Museum, Beijing

During the Jiajing 嘉靖 reign (1522–66), Xu Gao (Pl. 6.21). An inscription above the painting written by Xu
participated in the rebuilding of the three main halls and the Hongqing 許鴻磬 during the Daoguang 道光 reign (1821–
Yongshou Palace of the Forbidden City, reaching the 50) identifies the subject matter as the early court audience of
position of Minster of Works with a rank of grade two. The Chen Boyou 陳伯友 (1601 jinshi) who was the Minister of the
depiction of the architecture in Painting of Xu Gao, as well as Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Chen Boyou is shown holding
the ceremonial columns, basically matches Ming standards, his tablet and standing next to the ceremonial column to the
so that it must be a court painter who created this work, an left of Chengtian Gate, while waiting to attend an early
honour that is commensurable with Xu Gao’s elevated court audience at the imperial palace. After the Zhengde
position. There is no scene depicting the summoning and reign (1506–21), emperors became less diligent with court
guiding of the soul in the painting, and it should have been audiences – the Wanli 萬曆 emperor (r. 1573–1620) did not
painted after the burial of Xu Gao. It is likely that official attend court audiences for several decades – so fewer
artisans hired court painters to create this work based on the paintings were produced of this subject matter. Early Court
Zhu Bang version depicting Kuai Xiang as a way to Audience was made after the death of Chen Boyou, and
commemorate Xu Gao. should have been used to commemorate him. The way that
The composition of the Zhu Bang version also became a the painter has depicted the surroundings of the palace
model for the portrayal of officials attending court during shrouded in morning mist is rather confusing. In particular,
the Ming dynasty. For example, the Nanjing Museum the details and arrangement of the buildings do not
version has an inscription above the painting by Gu Jiegang correspond with reality; for instance, the roof tops of the
顧頡剛 written in 1953 in Zhuozhengyuan 拙政園 (Humble main halls of the imperial palace are painted in black rather
Administrator’s Garden) in Suzhou, in which he identifies than yellow. The gate of the building to the left of Chen
the main figure in the painting as Kuai Xiang on the basis of Boyou also lacks specificity. This suggests that the painter of
the National Museum version that he once saw at the Palace this work did not come from the imperial court.
Museum, Beijing. However, the identity of this figure still The Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, also has a
needs to be verified. In the bottom section of the painting is painting similar to the Zhu Bang version, entitled Portrait of a
Yongdingmen 永定門 (Externally Pacified Gate), which was Civil Official Awaiting Audience (Pls 6.22–3). The painting
17
completed in the tenth month of 1553 during the Jiajing depicts an official standing to the right of Jinshui Bridge.
reign, 82 years after the death of Kuai Xiang. Thus, this The cloud-heads of the ceremonial column are pointing in
painting was probably meant to commemorate a Ming the wrong direction, so this work could not have been
official who had passed away after 1553. The depiction of the produced by a court painter; instead, he must have been a
ceremonial column and architecture basically accords with highly skilled painter working outside of the imperial court
the design and regulations of that time, so a court painter who based the painting on the Zhu Bang version. These
who was familiar with the Forbidden City must have examples show that the composition and mode of
produced this work. representation in the Zhu Bang version were recognised by
Another example of this subject matter is Early Court officials and also served as a model for painters outside of the
Audience (Zaochao tu 早朝圖) in the Palace Museum, Beijing court environment.

66 | Ming China: Courts and Contacts 1400–1450