Zhang Yanyuan is a family of prime ministers, including great-grandfather Zhang, great-grandfather Zhang and grandfather Zhang Hongjing. He once served as prime minister and had a strong interest in painting and calligraphy. Li Mian, a family friend of the Zhang family, is also prominent and loves painting and calligraphy. Like the royal family and other nobles at that time, they inherited the tradition of attaching importance to appreciation and collection in the Southern Dynasties. Such social conditions have cultivated Zhang Yanyuan's interest in the study of calligraphy and painting. His two works, Notes on Famous Paintings in Past Dynasties and Records of Calligraphy, respectively collected rich information on calligraphy and painting in the previous generation, especially the prequels, which put forward their own opinions, and were important contributions to the scientific research of ancient Chinese fine arts.