Why are the portraits of ancient military commanders pregnant, so they can go to war?

Why are the portraits of ancient military commanders so big that they can go to war with their stomachs full?

A: When it comes to portraits that vividly record the heroic charm of ancient battlefields, it is the famous soldier in the portrait that often makes many contemporary "military fans" even scream, that is, the almost uniform "big belly" image.

All kinds of "heroic pictures" and "famous pictures" in Han, Tang, Song and Ming dynasties all say that the "heroic portrait" in the Qianlong period of Qing Dynasty is a vivid portrayal. Compared with Han, Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming Dynasties, the court painters in Qing Dynasty were more meticulous in painting techniques and captured the characters' modeling movements. Those battlefield heroes who have made contributions to the country have both serious attitudes and dynamic scenes such as "holding a bow" and "holding a knife". But the appearance of "big belly" is almost the same.

Is everyone really this big? A direct reason is actually the problem of "creative angle". As the official collection of Hero Map, modesty is the most important requirement. Therefore, when painting, painters often choose the front image or three-quarters side image. What the painter focuses on is not the hero's "good figure", but the hero's appearance and the form of armor and equipment. Of course, heroes should dress formally, either wearing bright helmets or official uniforms, and even the best figure is "covered". Even if a hero really has "eight-pack abdominal muscles", it is absolutely impossible to show it.

The official "portraits of famous soldiers" in past dynasties may have different technical styles, but the requirements for hard bars are consistent throughout the ages. Naturally, there will be a variety of "big belly" star images with different postures.

The popularity of the image of "potbellied celebrity" is also due to another "great event": the prosperous "best-selling illustration" industry in China during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Since the mid-Ming dynasty, with the prosperity of urban commodity economy, the "best-selling" industry that was once only "non-mainstream" has become a hot industry in the city. Especially with the best-selling of "war themes" such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Yang Jiajiang. "Book illustration" is also the popularity that follows closely. If you want to manage books in Ming and Qing Dynasties, it is not enough to rely on "good books", but you must have good illustrations to make books more popular and attract a large number of market readers. At that time, bookstore owners were all "sincere and clever, but superficial and wonderful." Spend a lot of money to find a "good painter".

In this context, the picture illustration industry has also sprung up: at that time, book illustrations were mainly printed in the form of printed matter. In the mid-Ming Dynasty, China's printmaking technology also developed at a high speed, and printmaking seal cutting was also "industrialized". For example, the Huang family in Huizhou was a famous carving family in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. From the middle of15th century to the beginning of19th century, there were as many as 300 sculptors in his family. This kind of high-level engraving also made the Ming dynasty prints exquisite and productive, which amazed missionaries such as Matteo Ricci.

Moreover, famous painters who used to "disdain" illustration creation began to devote themselves to illustration printmaking in the middle of Ming Dynasty. Famous Ming painters such as Ding and Chen Hongshou were also "illustrators". When they create "illustrations of military commanders", most of the references they are based on are official "portraits of heroes".

Thus, in the military bestsellers of Ming Dynasty, such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Yang Jiajiang, the image of a "pot-bellied" military commander in the original official "Hero Map" jumped from the page and became a vivid illustration image in the bestsellers. Then, with the help of the powerful spreading power of ancient "bestsellers", it quickly spread among "unofficial history fans". Even if the Ming Dynasty prints were developed, the "Ye Zi Opera" of painting characters in the Ming and Qing Dynasties was all the rage. Of course, the "big belly general" on the "Ye Zi Xi" card is deeply rooted among the "players".

However, compared with this artistic exaggeration of "higher than life", it is really difficult to become an ancient military commander without a reliable "big belly". Because it is different from the image of "muscular man" in modern aesthetics. In the ancient battlefield, "big waist and round waist" was the "admission standard" for military commanders.

How important is "big waist"? You can look at the ancient armor first. For example, the armor weight of ordinary infantry in Song Dynasty was as high as 29.8kg.. The crossbowman's armor also weighs 27 kilograms. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, due to the popularity of cotton armor, the weight of armor dropped greatly. But it also weighs 20 Jin. Military commanders often wear chain mail inside and cotton armor outside, and the total weight often reaches 30 Jin. Without a strong body, let alone charge, you can't wear armor.

Moreover, although the ancient war was dominated by cold weapons most of the time, it was by no means a scene of "fighting alone" in "martial arts films". The most important thing is "arrangement" and "arrangement". Especially since the Song Dynasty, with the progress of military science and technology, the accuracy and tactical coordination of the army's "array method" have actually become more and more complicated. If you want to win on the battlefield, the "magic power" in martial arts novels is useless. The key lies in the tacit tactical cooperation and fighting spirit of the army soldiers and the angry attack of the generals at the critical moment.

For example, in the famous "Battle of Yancheng" during the Song and Jin Wars, in the face of the heavy armor of the Jin Army, Yue Jiajun fought against it many times, repeatedly "surrounded each other" and "fought dozens of times" to win or lose. At the fiercest moment of the battle, Marshal Yue Fei, who had the strength of "holding a bow of 300 Jin", personally launched a surprise attack with 40 elite riders, split Ali Duo, the general of the Eighth Gold Army, in half, and then rampaged on the front of the Eighth Gold Army, finally completely defeating the enemy, killing Jin Wushu, the coach of the Eighth Gold Army, and uttered a painful cry: "All the soldiers at sea won by this, and this is over!"

Such fierce fighting is a cruel test of soldiers' physical strength. Therefore, for soldiers who need to charge repeatedly, when selecting soldiers, they often have to achieve "pipa leg axle" (shoulder width and waist thinness). For a military commander who needs to give the enemy a fatal blow at a critical moment, it is even more necessary to "drop ten meetings with one strength" and break through the enemy's defense with strong power. Just like Yue Fei, the great hero who angrily attacked in the Battle of Yancheng.

Therefore, "absolute power" is the first requirement when selecting military commanders in past dynasties. For example, in the martial arts examination in Ming and Qing Dynasties, the key subject is to test strength. To pull a hard bow with eight to twelve forces, hold a broadsword with 80 to 120 Jin. The elite "Iron Man Army" under the great hero Zheng Chenggong, every selected soldier must hold the stone pier and walk around Shangrao in the tinker. What you want is the power of hard core. Only warriors who are "strong enough to lose money" can reach the standard.

Therefore, it is not difficult to understand that there are "strong" images in the portraits of ancient famous soldiers. This is not only the requirement of ancient military, but also the epitome of ancient culture. "The general's stomach is not big" is such an interesting incision, which shows us how vivid it is inside and outside the battlefield.