别开生面　(bié kāi shēng miàn)

Drawing New Faces

The Chinese idiom Bie Kai Sheng Mian is now widely used to mean bringing forth something new, such as adopting a new style or breaking a new path particularly in the fields of art or literature.

The original meaning of the expression, however, was to retouch an old painting to make it shine again.

Cao Ba was a legendary artist who lived during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). Cao started to study Chinese calligraphy and painting when he was a child. Later, he became known for his fabulous paintings of people and horses.

In 718 AD, Emperor Xuanzong invited Cao to paint at the imperial court. Watching Cao at work, the emperor was so impressed that he declared Cao the designated painter to the court.

As a result, only a few of Cao’s creations could be found outside the imperial court. Owners of his paintings were usually held in high regard.

Near the imperial court, there was a grandiose pavilion which was famous for its beautiful frescoes depicting the 24 heroes who helped establish the Tang Dynasty. After decades of exposure to the elements, the plaster had begun to peel and the color to fade.

One day, Emperor Xuanzong asked Cao to recreate the murals in the pavilion.

After spending days studying the old paintings and reading all the background literature available about the 24 heroes, Cao undertook the royal assignment.

When his work was completed, the new paintings caused an enduring sensation. Some of the figures were so vivid that viewers felt they could almost step down from the wall.

To show his royal appreciation, the emperor gave the artist a big promotion.

Several years later, Du Fu, a famous Chinese poet of that time, wrote a poem praising Cao. One of the verses used the expression Bie Kai Sheng Mian to describe how the artist vividly recreated the faces of the heroes.

While Cao was immortalized by the famous poem and later this idiom, his later years were not entirely happy ones.

As an old man, he was expelled from the imperial court because he offended the emperor over something trivial.

Despite his advanced age, the legendary artist was forced to make his living by drawing portraits of passers-by in the street.