Keywords
Art History
Painting
Ch: Guo Ziyi (697-781). A Tang dynasty general, known for his military conquests and progeny. A native of Huazhou 華州 in Shaanxi 陜西, Guo rose to fame when he led the Chinese army on several central Asian campaigns and then crushed the An Lushan (Jp: An Rokuzan 安禄山, ?-757) rebellion of 755-63. Guo's eight sons and seven daughters produced so many grandchildren that, reportedly, he could not remember all of their names. He became a symbol of longevity, wealth, and fatherhood in China and was popular with Japanese merchants of the Edo period. In painting he is usually pictured surrounded by children. Among Japanese examples, Maruyama Ōkyo's 円山応挙 (1733-95) series of screen paintings *fusuma-e 襖絵 at Daijōji 大乗寺, Hyōgo Prefecture, are well known.