Confucius walks in the front, followed by his disciple Yan Hui. The work is supposed to be painted by Gu Kaizhi in the Jin dynasty (266-420). According to the historical record, when Emperor Kangxi visited the Temple of Confucius in Qufu in 1684, he asked which portrait of Confucius most vividly depicted the Great Sage. Kong Yusheng, a lineal descendant of Confucius, answered that "Confucius and His Disciple Yan Hui" was one of the three most authentic ones, all painted by Gu Kaizhi.