石渠寶笈三編(御書房),第七冊,頁3081 &*故宮書畫錄(卷五),第三冊,頁136-137 &*故宮書畫圖錄,第三冊,頁59-60&*唐太宗命閻立本為文學館十八學士作畫,自此十八學士之題久為中國畫家所好。此圖宋人之作,畫學士二人對奕,二人旁觀,全神貫注,極為專一。 本幅構圖精妙,學士背後屏風與隨侍僕役形成一環,烘托主題,使四學士愈加突出。園中有柳、石榴花、巨石、芭蕉等。且有一奇石盆景,由此觀之,國人欣賞奇石之癖好,由來久矣。&*The T'ang Emperor Tai-tsung (r. 626-649) ordered the court painter Yen Li-pen to paint the eighteen scholars of the Wen-hsüeh Kuan. From this point on, the theme was popular with Chinese painters. This rendition by an anonymous Sung painter portrays two scholars playing chess while two others look on with concentrated interest. The composition skillfully places the background elements and servants in a ring around the scholars, thereby highlighting the central importance of the four literati. In the garden are seen blooming pomegranates, willows, a large rock and a banana plant. A small, unusual rockery is also depicted, reflecting how early the Chinese developed their love of strangely shaped rocks.