Xuanhe Painting Catalog

...at the Waguan Temple, he painted the Vimalakirti. As he was finishing, he prepared to dot the eyes and said to the temple monks: "Within three days, the offerings from the viewers will reach one million." It happened just as he said. The poet Du Fu wrote a poem about the Waguan Temple, saying: "Hutou’s painting of the Golden Millet," which refers to this. In Kaizhi's time, he was considered to have a naturally outstanding talent, standing alone without peer. His skill reached such subtle depths that even Xun, Wei, Cao, and Zhang were not enough to keep pace with him. Xie He claimed that "his trace did not reach his intention, and his reputation exceeded his reality," but how could Xie He truly understand Kaizhi? It is a pity that his paintings are rarely seen today. Furthermore, Kaizhi kept his works strictly to himself. For example, he once sent a cabinet of his paintings to the home of Huan Wen, only for them to be stolen by Wen. This is why the paintings of Kaizhi that have been passed down to the world are so rare. The current Imperial Collection holds nine [works]:

Vimalakirti [The Pure Name Layman] Portrait, 1

Portrait of the Three Heavenly Maidens, 1