In the process of controversy, it was confirmed that the portraits were drawn at least after the death of FUJIWARA no Takanobu in 1205, and a theory which defines Takanobu as the producer of these three portraits had already been denied both in the popular theory and the new theory.
なお、論争の過程で、三像の成立は早くとも藤原隆信の死(1205年)以降であることが明らかとなっており、隆信を三像作者とする説は、通説・新説いずれからも既に否定された。