Problems of Author and Title of the Hou-hua-lu

Problems of Author and Title of the Hou-hua-lu

The author of the present Hou-hua-lu (後畫錄) is Yen Tsung (彥悰), a monk of the T'ang Dynasty. This book is a small volume in two parts: a short preface dated in the 9th year of the Chen Kuan era (635 A. D.) of the T'ang Dynasty, and his critical evaluation of some twenty-six painters. According to the Li-tai-ming-hua-chi (歷代名畫記) of Chang Yen-yuan (張彥遠), a Sui (隋) monk Yen Tsung (彥琮) also wrote his ''Critical Evaluation of Painters'', although the specific title of this work has not been given by Chang Yen-yuan. However, it is highly likely that two monks of two different dynasties would have the same name, and both write about paintings. After an examination of Chang Yen-yüan's LTMHC, it will be noted that between chüan 7 and chüan 9, there are twenty-six passages quoted from the writing of the 'Sui' monk.