中国古代绘制的各种形式和风格的孔子像存世较多，但 真正 被广泛认可和接受的是现存于山东曲阜孔庙的石刻本《孔子行教像》，一般认为该石刻本原作为唐代著名画家 吴道子 所绘，但原作早已不幸遗失。

There are many ancient Chinese paintings of Confucius in various forms and styles, but the one that is widely recognized and accepted is the stone inscription Confucius Xingjiao statue, which is now in Temple of Confucius, Qufu, Shandong Province, the original is believed to have been painted by the famous Tang Dynasty painter Wu Daozi, but the original has unfortunately been lost.

《孔子行教像》整体画风完全符合吴道子的风格，画中孔子雍容大度，身体稍稍前倾，双手作揖，谦卑有礼。孔子头扎儒巾，双目前视，须发飘逸，透出圣人的智慧。作品用笔提按流转之间表现了画家娴熟的技法，深得"吴带当风"的精髓。画面上方题写:先师孔子行教像;右上方题写:德侔天地，道冠古今，删述六经，垂宪万世;左下方落款:唐吴道子笔，并加盖一方印章。

The overall painting style of Confucius Xingjiao portrait fully conforms to Wu Daozi’s style. In the painting, Confucius is graceful and magnanimous, leaning forward slightly, bowing his hands and being humble and courteous. Confucius wore a confucian scarf over his head, his eyes staring straight ahead, and his beard and hair flowing with the wisdom of a sage. Works by the circulation of the pen between the performance of the painter skilled techniques, deep “Wu Dai when the wind”of the essence. At the top of the picture is inscribed: Portrait of the late Teacher Confucius; at the top right is inscribed: Demou Heaven and Earth, Dao Guan ancient and modern, expounding the six classics, lasting ten thousand generations; at the bottom left is inscribed: Tang Wu Daozi’s pen, with a seal affixed to it.

此幅画像栩栩如生地描绘出了孔子的形象，他身躯稍微前倾，表现出了孔子的温良恭俭让的德行，两手想握，手背向外，腰带佩剑，表明一代圣人文武皆娴。画像以白描线条勒刻上石，线条明快，碑精拓细。在拓片的左下方题有“吴道子笔”字样，在碑的上端题有“德配天地，道冠古今，删述六经，垂宪万世” 16字，这取自于明代陈凤吾的《孔子赞》，原文为“道冠古今，德配天地，删述交经，垂宪万世，统承义皇，源启沫泗，报功报德，百王崇祀”。由此可见，此碑刻应不早于明代。

The portrait is a vivid depiction of Confucius, who leans forward a little to show Confucius’s gentleness, frugality, his hands grasping, his back to the outside, and his sword in his belt, a sign that the saint of the generation is well versed in martial arts. The portrait is carved with lines drawn in white. The lines are bright and the Stele is fine and thin. At the bottom left of the rubbings are the words “Wu Daozi’s pen”, and at the top of the tablet are the words “Virtue is fit for Heaven and earth, Dao Guan is ancient and modern, the six classics are deleted, and the constitution is respected for all ages”. These 16 words are taken from Chen Fengwu’s “In praise of Confucius”of the Ming Dynasty, the original text is “Dao Guan ancient and modern, de match heaven and earth, delete Jiaojing, Chuxian Wanshi, tongchengyi emperor, Yuanqimousi, reported good deeds, hundred king worship.”. This shows that the inscription should not be earlier than the Ming Dynasty.