The Vinegar Tasters

Who are the three men in the picture above?

The allegorical composition depicts the three founders of China's major religious and philosophical traditions: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. The three men are Confucius, Buddha, and Laozi Why are they tasting vinegar?

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; and Taoism saw life as fundamentally good in its natural state What does the picture mean?

Another interpretation of the painting is that, since the three men are gathered around one vat of vinegar, the "three teachings" are one.