Night-Shining White
| Night-Shining White | |
|---|---|
| 唐 韓幹 照夜白圖 卷 | |
 | |
| Artist | Han Gan |
| Year | ca.750 |
| Type | Painting |
| Medium | Handscroll; ink on paper |
| Dimensions | 30.8 cm × 34 cm (12.1 in × 13 in) |
| Location | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City |
"Night-Shining White" (Chinese: 唐 韓幹 照夜白圖 卷) is a manuscript scroll of the Chinese artist Han Gan, created in the middle of the 8th century (circa 750). It is one of the greatest equine portrait in Chinese painting. Currently, the work is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum, where the drawing was given in 1977.[1]
The work is a portrait of the fighting horse of the Emperor Xuanzong (reign 712–56) of the Tang Dynasty. In his time, Han Gan was considered one of the leading artists of China.[2] He was famous for being able to display in his works not only the appearance of a horse, but also its nature and character, and also possessed excellent knowledge of the habits of horses. Burning eyes with large pupils, flaring nostrils and dancing hoofs on the image were characteristic of the image of a mythological fiery-tempered horse. Han Gan in conversation with the emperor claimed that the horses in the stables were his teachers of painting. By order of Xuanzong, Han Gan created a series of "portraits" of famous horses.[1]
European art historians often note the conventionality of the drawings of Han Gan and other representatives of Chinese painting and see this as a significant difference in Chinese animalistics from works depicting animals created by European artists.
The animals depicted in traditional Chinese painting are usually not as anatomically precise as those found in Western paintings. With the paintings simplicity and conventionality, "Night-Shining White" does not lose its expressiveness and spirituality. Unlike naturalistic images of horses of the Central Asian breed, the steed on "Night-Shining White" has less realistic proportions: in the figure, the horse has short and very thin legs and a very round body. Han Gan gave the horse human features, his tormented eyes are turned to the viewer and seem to appeal to compassion and help. The binding to the post and the emotional look of the horse represent a different - the sad side of life at the court of the emperor.[3][4]
Many of the original works of the artist are not preserved, but many times copied by painters of subsequent centuries. Many of the seals and signatures of the former collectors' owners confirm the ownership of the figure of Han Gan. In this case there are no signatures and seals of the artist himself. There are seals of the Emperor Li Yu (Southern Tang), Emperor Qianlong, Mi Fu.[5][2]
References
- ^ a b Gan, Han (ca. 750), 唐 韓幹 照夜白圖 卷 Night-Shining White, retrieved 2017-11-14
{{citation}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Werness, Hope B. (2006). Continuum Encyclopedia of Animal Symbolism in World Art. A&C Black. ISBN 9780826419132.
- ^ Hearn, Maxwell K. (2008). How to Read Chinese Paintings. Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 9781588392817.
- ^ N.Y.), Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York; Montebello, Philippe De (1994). The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide. Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 9780870997105.
- ^ "Han Gan: Night-Shining White | Chinese Art Gallery | China Online Museum". www.chinaonlinemuseum.com. Retrieved 2017-11-14.