Li Shimin, then Prince of Qin and later Emperor Taizong (reigned 626–649) of the Tang dynasty, established the Institute of Literary Studies and recruited Confucian scholars to serve as its academicians. After ascending the throne, he ordered the imperial artist Yan Liben (circa 601–674) to depict the eighteen scholars and thereby illustrate his virtue in respecting men of learning. Later artists took inspiration of the work to create their own interpretations of the subject.

This set of hanging scrolls illustrates scholars engaged in elegant activities associated with the zither (琴), go (棋), calligraphy (書), and painting (畫), which are the known as the Four Arts of the Scholar (四藝合一). The set was catalogued by the Qing imperial editors of Shiju baoji sanbian (石渠寶笈三編) as: The Eighteen Scholars, anonymous, Song dynasty (宋人十八學士圖). However, the National Palace Museum notes that it probably dates to the middle to late Ming dynasty.