The Painter

Storyline

After the An-Shi Rebellion during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), emperor Tang Xuanzong is being imprisoned in the imperial palace. The emperor, longing for his consort, demands that the painter, Wu Daozi, paints her portrait, which he can carry with him in the afterlife.

A young painter named Tang Anzhou takes off on a journey to find this famous painter. On his way through a small town, Tang makes a stop at an inn where he shows off his own paintings. A crazy old man stumbles in and spills wine over his paintings. Tang is furious but finds that the wine adds a good touch to his painting. He takes it as a sign that he must search here for the painter.