Elena Rossi
The Vinegar Tasters is a traditional subject in Chinese painting, which later spread to other East Asian countries. The allegorical image represents three elderly men—interpreted as the avatars of the three great teachers Confucius, Laozi, and the historical Buddha—tasting vinegar. The painting illustrates how Taoism helps people live harmoniously with the world, with the vinegar representing life, and the men's facial expressions their attitudes toward it. The purpose of the painting is to elucidate how Taoism differs from other belief systems, with interpretations of the work suggesting that it teaches that life is only as negative as you choose to experience it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Subject | Three vinegar tasters |
| Theme | Unity of the Three Creeds (Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism) |
| Origin | China |
| Style | Chan (Chinese word for Zen) monastic communities of the Song dynasty |
| Format | Two-panel folding screen |
| Medium | Ink, mineral pigment, and gold leaf on paper |
| Dimensions | 167 x 187 cm (65 3/4 x 73 5/8 in) |
| Artist | Attributed to Kano Motonobu (Japanese, 1476–1559) |
| Date | Seventeenth century |
| Location | Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Second Floor Passage |
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What You'll Learn
The painting's interpretation of the three teachings of Chinese wisdom
The Vinegar Tasters is a well-known painting that illustrates the three teachings of Chinese wisdom: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. The painting depicts three men, each representing one of these teachings, tasting vinegar and reacting with different facial expressions.
Confucianism, represented by the first man in the painting, Confucius, views life as sour. Confucians believe that the world is imperfect and that rituals and worship of ancestors are necessary to achieve order and correct the degeneration of people. They hold ancestral cultural heritage dear and long for a time when the emperor was considered the son of heaven, bridging the gap between heaven and earth.
Buddhism, represented by the second man, Buddha, views life as bitter. Buddhists believe that life is filled with earthly attachments and traps that lead to suffering. They seek to transcend the world and achieve Nirvana by rising above their desires.
Taoism, represented by the third man, Lao-tse or Lao Tzu, views life as sweet. Taoists believe in the harmony between heaven and earth and that life is fundamentally perfect in its natural state. They respect everything's nature and purpose and accept life as it is, turning the negative into something positive.
The painting, therefore, interprets the three teachings of Chinese wisdom through the lens of the vinegar-tasting experience, showing how each philosophy approaches and interprets life differently.
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The identity of the three men
Confucianism, represented by Confucius' sour expression, views life as sour and in need of rules to correct the degeneration of people. Confucianism emphasizes rituals and reverence for the past, ancestors, and ancient ways. Buddha's bitter expression reflects the Buddhist view that life is dominated by pain and suffering due to earthly attachments. Buddhists seek to transcend the world and achieve Nirvana by extinguishing tanha (desire). Laozi's sweet expression embodies the Taoist belief in the harmony between heaven and earth, accepting life as it is, and transforming the negative into something positive.
Another interpretation of the painting identifies the three men as specific historical figures: the poet Tao Yuanming (365–427), the Daoist scholar Lu Xiujing (406–477), and the Buddhist monk Huiyuan (334–416). According to this interpretation, these three friends shared a relaxing afternoon in Huiyan's temple garden, drinking from an old pot of wine that had turned to vinegar. Their experience was later understood to symbolize the Unity of the Three Creeds—Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism.
The painting "The Vinegar Tasters" has been depicted by various artists, including a 17th-century Japanese work attributed to Kano Motonobu of the Kano school, and a Chinese painting by Kano Isen'in from the early 19th century. The theme and style of the painting have also inspired artists beyond East Asia, such as the interpretations discussed in Benjamin Hoff's book "The Tao of Pooh."
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The vinegar as a representation of life
The Vinegar Tasters is a well-known painting that originated in China and later spread to other East Asian countries. The painting depicts three elderly men, each representing one of the three prominent teachings of Chinese wisdom: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. The three men are depicted dipping their fingers into a vat of vinegar and tasting it, each reacting with a different expression.
The vinegar in the painting is often interpreted as a representation of life. Each man's expression represents their attitude toward life, shaped by their respective philosophical and religious beliefs. Confucius, the master of Confucianism, reacts with a sour expression. This reflects the Confucian view that life is inherently sour and imperfect, requiring rituals and worship of ancestors to correct the degeneration of people and achieve harmony between heaven and earth.
Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, reacts with a bitter expression. Buddhism teaches that life is dominated by pain and suffering due to earthly attachments and the traps and illusions of the modern world. Buddhists believe that one must rise above these attachments and transcend the world to attain Nirvana and escape the cycle of birth, suffering, death, and rebirth.
Lao-tse, also known as Lao Tzu, the author of the Tao Te Ching, the oldest book on Taoism, is the only one of the three who is smiling. Taoism teaches that there is inherent harmony between heaven and earth, and that life is fundamentally perfect in its natural state. From a Taoist perspective, sourness and bitterness arise from the interfering and unappreciative mind. By accepting and appreciating life as it is, one can transform the negative into something positive and sweet.
The Vinegar Tasters painting, therefore, serves as an allegory for the different philosophical and religious interpretations of life, with the vinegar representing the "essence of life" and each man's reaction reflecting their unique perspective on existence.
Benjamin Hoff's book, 'The Tao of Pooh', provides an insightful interpretation of the painting, explaining how Taoism differs from other belief systems and why it may be the best philosophy for humans to live by. Through the characters in Winnie the Pooh, Hoff explores Taoist principles and offers wisdom on how to live a harmonious and fulfilling life.
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The Unity of the Three Creeds
The Vinegar Tasters is a traditional subject in Chinese painting, which later spread to other East Asian countries. The allegorical image represents three elderly men—interpreted as the avatars of the three great teachers—tasting vinegar. The painting is also known as the Unity of the Three Creeds, representing the three principal ancient Chinese religious leaders and their respective philosophies: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.
The three men in the painting are Confucius, Buddha, and Lao-tse (also known as Laozi or Lao Tzu). Each man's expression represents the predominant attitude of his philosophy. Confucianism saw life as sour, believing that the world is imperfect and in need of rules to correct the degeneration of people. Confucius looked to the past with reverence and believed in performing rituals to worship ancestors. In the painting, he reacts with a sour expression.
Buddhism saw life as bitter, dominated by pain and suffering. Buddhists believe that one must rise above earthly desires and attachments to the world to attain Nirvana. In the painting, Buddha reacts with a bitter expression.
Taoism, on the other hand, sees life as sweet because it is fundamentally perfect in its natural state. Taoists believe in living harmoniously with the world, accepting and appreciating life as it is. Lao-tse, the author of the Tao Te Ching, the oldest book on Taoism, is the only one smiling in the painting, accepting vinegar for its intended purpose.
The painting, therefore, illustrates the Unity of the Three Creeds by depicting the three religious leaders and their respective philosophies. It shows how their teachings can come together, tasting the same vinegar (representing life) yet experiencing it differently.
The Origin and Influence of the Painting
The idea of the Unity of the Three Creeds first emerged in 11th-century China among a socio-cultural group committed to the ancient ideal of the gentleman scholar. The theme of the painting, also known as "The Three Laughters of Tiger Ravine" and "The Patriarchs of the Three Creeds", expresses the principle of the fundamental unity of man, nature, and society, dissolving boundaries between the sacred and profane, self and non-self, and other dichotomies.
The painting has influenced various interpretations and has been depicted by different artists, including a 17th-century Japanese work by the Kano school and a Chinese hanging scroll attributed to Kano Motonobu (1476-1559). Benjamin Hoff's book "The Tao of Pooh" also popularised the painting's symbolism, using the characters from Winnie the Pooh to explain Taoist principles.
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The painting's artist and origins
The Vinegar Tasters is a traditional subject in Chinese painting, which later spread to other East Asian countries. The idea of the Unity of the Three Creeds first emerged in late 11th-century China among a socio-cultural group of men committed to the ancient ideal of the gentleman scholar. The amateur artist embodied the highest of all human attainments for these men. The painting illustrates how Taoism helps people live harmoniously with the world, and it shows why Benjamin Hoff thinks it's the best philosophy for humans to live by. In "The How of Pooh," Hoff describes the painting, which shows the three principal ancient Chinese religious leaders—Confucius, Buddha, and Lao-tse—tasting vinegar. The vinegar represents life, and the men's facial expressions represent their attitudes toward it.
The painting was created in the 17th century by an artist of the Kano school, the official painting house of Japan's military rulers, famous for its mastery of Chinese pictorial modes. The figures in the Gardner screen bear a close resemblance to those portrayed in a hanging scroll of the same subject attributed to Kano Motonobu (1476–1559), the second-generation head of the Kano school. The pose and position of the two figures standing near the pot, as well as the profile view and hand positions of the figure on the left, indicate that the artist of the Gardner screen closely followed Motonobu's model, modifying it to suit the larger painting format.
The theme and style of the Gardner screen originated in China. The fluid, calligraphic lines that showcase the hand of the artist reflect an approach to painting that flourished among Chan (the Chinese word for Zen) monastic communities of the Song dynasty (960–1279). The large pine tree, curving in and out of the composition, is a common motif found in both Chan painting and in painting of the Southern Song imperial court (1127–1279). However, the folding screen painting format and the application of gold leaf ground indicate that a Japanese painter created this particular work.
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Frequently asked questions
The Vinegar Tasters is a traditional subject in Chinese painting, which later spread to other East Asian countries. It depicts three elderly men tasting vinegar.
The identity of the three men varies. Chinese versions often interpret the three men to be Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, and a monk named Foyin. Other variations depict the three men as the founders of China's major religious and philosophical traditions: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.
The vinegar in the painting represents the "essence of life". Each man's expression represents the predominant attitude of his philosophy. Confucianism saw life as sour, in need of rules to correct the degeneration of people. Buddhism saw life as bitter, dominated by pain and suffering. Taoism, on the other hand, saw life as sweet, believing that sourness and bitterness come from an interfering and unappreciative mind.
The idea of the Unity of the Three Creeds, which is depicted in the painting, first emerged in late-11th century China among a socio-cultural group of men committed to the ancient ideal of the gentleman scholar.
There are several versions of the painting. One version, attributed to Kano Motonobu, is displayed in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, USA. Another version, by Kano Isen’in, can be found in the Honolulu Museum of Art.
