空前绝后 — “Unprecedented and unparalleled”

The idiom 'Kong Qian Jue Hou' (空前绝后) refers to something that is unprecedented and unparalleled, never seen before and never to be seen again. This expression is often associated with the exceptional talents of ancient Chinese painters.

During the Jin Dynasty, Gu Kaizhi, a man of remarkable talent and profound knowledge, was celebrated for his superb painting skills. He excelled at depicting figures with lifelike expressions, distinguishing himself by not dotting the eyes first. When asked why, he explained that the spirit of a figure lay precisely in the eyes. His insights were widely admired, and he was known as one of the 'Three Perfections': perfect in talent, perfect in painting, and perfect in his dedication.

Later, during the Southern Dynasties' Liang Dynasty, another great painter, Zhang Sengyao, gained fame for his landscapes, figures, and Buddhist images. Emperor Wu of Liang commissioned him to paint for many temples. Legend has it that he once painted four dragons on a temple wall but left their eyes undotted. When questioned, he claimed that once the eyes were dotted, the dragons might fly away. Skeptics insisted, so he dotted two, and indeed, those two dragons broke through the wall and soared into the sky. While this tale is highly exaggerated, it illustrates the extraordinary mastery of his art.

By the Tang Dynasty, the even more accomplished painter Wu Daozi emerged, a master of both painting and calligraphy. His landscapes and Buddhist images were renowned, and his calligraphy earned him the title 'Sage of Calligraphy.' It is said that he once painted a vast panorama of the Jialing River for Emperor Xuanzong, completing hundreds of miles of scenery in a single day. In Jingxuan Temple, his mural depicting the 'Transformation of Hell' was so profoundly unsettling, even without grotesque figures, that many who saw it were moved to repent and abandon evil.

Later generations, when evaluating these three artists, often concluded that Gu Kaizhi's achievements surpassed all who came before him, Zhang Sengyao's were so extraordinary that no one after him could match them, and Wu Daozi possessed the strengths of both, representing an unparalleled peak in art. Thus, 'Kong Qian Jue Hou' came to describe something truly unique and impossible to replicate.