Consort Yang Mounting a Horse 楊妃上馬圖

Object Details

Artist

Traditionally attributed to Qian Xuan 錢選 (late 13th century)

Label

Qian Xuan was foremost among the group of artists who in the early years of the Yuan dynasty revived ancient styles and fused them with their own innovations to create a new and viable artistic vocabulary. In subject matter, this painting is an obvious reference to the past. The Tang dynasty emperor Minghuang (reigned 713-756), seated astride a horse, is watching his favorite concubine, Yang Guifei being helped onto her saddle by maid-servants and attendants. Qian Xuan's use of precise outline and flat color, as well as his arrangement of the figures against a blank background, reflect his awareness of the achievements of Tang dynasty artists. But a new sense of detached restraint which pervades the painting is typical of Qian Xuan's work and characteristic of Yuan dynasty archaism in general.

There is another version of this scroll in the Shanghai Museum.

Collection

Freer Gallery of Art Collection

Exhibition History

Old Tales Retold: Narrative in Chinese Painting (April 20 to October 20, 2013)

Women in Chinese Painting (November 9, 2013 to April 27, 2014)

Tales of the Brush: Literary Masterpieces in Chinese Painting (July 28, 2007 to January 13, 2008)

In Human Form: Images of the Secular and Divine in Chinese Painting (January 31, 1996 to January 7, 1997)

Masterpieces of Chinese Painting (I) (August 3, 1984 to February 7, 1985)

Chinese Figure Painting (September 17, 1973 to January 3, 1975)

Chinese Art (January 1, 1963 to March 6, 1981)

Chinese Paintings (June 5, 1957 to January 1, 1963)

Credit Line

Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

14th century

Period

Late Yuan or early Ming dynasty

Accession Number

F1957.14

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Painting

Medium

Ink and color on paper

Dimensions

H x W (image): 29.5 x 117 cm (11 5/8 x 46 1/16 in)

Origin

China

Related Online Resources

Google Cultural Institute

Song and Yuan Dynasty Painting and Calligraphy

See more items in

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Topic

horse

Yuan dynasty (1279 - 1368)

Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644)

fan

China

bow

emperor

Chinese Art

Record ID

fsg_F1957.14

Metadata Usage (text)

Not determined

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye3dbbdc535-7863-4c24-a32c-443cd5189766