This illustration represents Chinese society between 500-100 B.C.E. Like the image of the onion dome in the drawing of Peter the Great, in this image the yin/yang symbol provides the metaphorical space for the image. The key figure in this image is the seated figure in the lower left, who represents a Han Chinese official. In his public life, he lives according to Confucian ethics. These include diligent study, shown here by the gentleman practicing his brushstrokes and calligraphy at the foot of his teacher. As an official of the emperor (the son of heaven at top) he carries out his duties, here collecting taxes from a peasant. He practices ancestor worship, also placed at the top of this image. These images are exterior representations, outward signs of his public life.

In his private life, on the other hand, the gentleman lives a life of introspective contemplation. He is influenced not by ancestor worship or the conservative behavior demanded of his official public position, but by magic and Taoist individualism. This is reflected in his immersion in nature, the forces of which swirl around him, a mystery he hopes to control (note the squiggly lines, like the depiction of untamed nature in the image of hunter--gatherer society). These images are reflections of his inner life. This lower scene is more visually anarchic than the more minimalist upper scene. Note the depiction of the mountains and trees, which draw from the brushstrokes of Chinese painters/calligraphers. The image reflects the balance between the gentleman’s public and private lives, between his Confucian duties and his personal spirituality.