Marginalia

Figure B., Jīn shǎo fūrén, originally misidentified as the Yílíng lǎozǔ’s co-conspirator, ‘Wēn dàifu.’

A minor figure in the Yílíng lǎozǔ account, this sketch of the Yílíng lǎozǔ’s erstwhile martial sibling in the Jiāng sect has been overlooked for many years due to misidentification. Yílíng lǎozǔ marginalia sketches largely are largely drawn from life during the “Luànzàng Gǎng” period, making the notorious doctor the likeliest subject. (While many contemporary portrayals of Wēn dàifu exist, her notorious reputation inflected portraiture, with artists emphasizing her monstrous aspect rather than attempting to faithfully capture features. This Yílíng lǎozǔ drawing had long been thought to be the only likeness.)

Recent scholarship has corrected this misidentification, using the lotus iconography associated with Jīn shǎo fūrén’s birth family (note sleeve detail) to establish the identity of this figure. Described in the Yílíng lǎozǔ account as “no great beauty”, the Yílíng lǎozǔ sketch pushes back against this description. The two previously known of Jīn shǎo fūrén, commissioned by her father-in-law and husband portray her as somewhat conventional looking, unlike the Yílíng lǎozǔ sketch. The sketch is noteworthy for its focus on the figure’s gaze, which is directed, soft and luminous, at the viewer. Indeed, the affection with which the figure is rendered provokes some speculation as to the reason for the Yílíng lǎozǔ’s early rift with the Jiāng clan.

This portrait is an important entry in our understanding of the context of the Yílíng lǎozǔ’s crimes.