《论语》中的短语“绘事后素”的意思至今仍不明了,各家注解莫衷一是。关于此短语的解释,较具有代表性的是郑玄的注与朱熹的注,郑注以为是先绘后素,而朱注则恰好相反。笔者通过对先秦时期出土文物的考察,认为“绘事后素”当是在进行了各种“绘事”之后,再用白色或者其他醒目的颜色进行勾勒。 “Analects of Confucius” in the phrase “painting after prime ” meaning is still unknown, the various comments are mixed. On the interpretation of this phrase, more representative of the note of Zheng Xuan and Zhu Xi’s note, Zheng note that is the first painting after the prime, and Zhu note is exactly the opposite. Through the investigation of the unearthed cultural relics in the pre-Qin period, the author thinks that after “painting” it is done after various kinds of “painted things” and is then sketched in white or other eye-catching colors.