The 5 Most Famous Paintings from The Tang Dynasty
1. The Emperor's Procession
Artists: Yan Liben
One of China's ten most famous traditional paintings, The Emperor's Procession work depicts Emperor Taizong of Tang receiving the Tibetan envoy, Gar Tongtsen Yulsung, in the imperial palace. Emperor Taizong sits on a palanquin carried by six palace maids, while three other maids stand before and behind him, holding fans and canopies. This painting is an important historical testament to the friendship between the Han and Tibetan peoples; its lines are strong and fluid, its colors elegant, and its depiction of the figures precise. It is currently housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing. It measures 38.5 cm in length and 129.6 cm in width.
2. Court Ladies Adorning Their Hair with Flowers
Artists: Zhang Xuan and Zhou Fang
"Ladies Wearing Flowers in Their Hair" is a painting on coarse silk with colors, created by Zhou Fang of the Tang Dynasty. It depicts concubines in the court during the Tang Dynasty or the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. The painting shows five elegantly dressed noblewomen and one maidservant enjoying flowers in a garden during the transition from spring to summer. Also depicted are a dog, a white crane, and magnolia blossoms.
"Ladies Wearing Flowers in Their Hair" vividly portrays the delicate skin, graceful postures, and intricate patterns of the silk fabrics of the noblewomen, reflecting their pampered lifestyle. This painting is a benchmark for depicting ladies, perfectly showcasing the fashionable attire of elegant women in the Tang Dynasty.
This work is currently housed in the Liaoning Provincial Museum.
3. Five Oxen Painting
Artists: Han Huang
"Five Oxen" is the earliest known painting on paper, made of hemp paper, a common type of paper in the Tang Dynasty. The painting depicts five oxen, each in a different posture. The artist of the Five Oxen painting skillfully depicts the oxen's bones and muscles, allowing us to clearly see their individual details, including the fine hairs on their heads and muzzles.
Han Huang's keen observation of the oxen's eyes vividly portrays their both docile and stubborn nature. Oxen are a traditional subject in ancient Chinese painting, reflecting the dominant ideology of an agricultural country that prioritizes agriculture.
"Five Oxen" is the only surviving example of his work and one of the few genuine Tang Dynasty paintings on paper or silk, thus attracting widespread attention for both its artistic achievement and historical value.
Five Oxen measures 20.8 cm wide and 139.8 cm long. It is currently housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing.
4. The Night Banquet of Han Xizai
Artist: Gu Hongzhong
Li Yu, the last emperor of the Southern Tang Dynasty, wanted to give important positions to his minister Han Xizai, but also suspected him of being dissolute. So he ordered Gu Hongzhong to go to Han's residence at night to "observe and remember" and draw this scroll to observe his behavior. In fact, Han Xizai used the pleasures of the brothel to conceal his true intentions and avoid getting involved in the political vortex.
The painting "Han Xizai's Night Banquet" recreates the historical scene of Han Xizai, a minister of the Southern Tang Dynasty, hosting a banquet for his guests. It meticulously depicts the lively scene of music, singing, dancing, and laughter among the guests, while also portraying the complex personality of the protagonist, who is both unconventional and melancholic. The entire painting is divided into five sections.
The Night Banquet of Han Xizai is 28.7 cm wide and 335.5 cm long, and is currently housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing.
5. Ladies Waving Fans
Artists: Zhou Fang
The painting "Ladies with Fans" depicts thirteen imperial concubines and palace maids with high-coiffed hairstyles, slender eyes, round faces, and long, flowing skirts. The painting portrays various activities of these thirteen women: languidly sitting with fans, taking out a zither from a pouch, applying makeup before a mirror, working at an embroidery table, and leisurely resting with fans in hand.
The painter Zhou Fang came from a wealthy and powerful family, and therefore was very familiar with the extravagant lifestyle of the aristocracy. His paintings of ladies did not focus on virtuous women, wise wives, or fairies, but rather drew inspiration from the pleasure activities of aristocratic women in real life, possessing a strong sense of the times and thus catering to the aesthetic tastes of the high-ranking officials and nobles of the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty.
Currently in the collection of Liaoning Provincial Museum; ink and color on silk, 46cm in height and 180cm in width.
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