DailyArt Magazine Surveys 1,400 Years of Chinese Painting, from Gu Kaizhi to Castiglione

Key facts

• DailyArt Magazine published a list of the top 10 most famous Chinese paintings, spanning about 1,400 years.
• The Nymph of the Luo River by Gu Kaizhi (ca. 344–ca. 406) is based on a poem by Cao Zhi (192–232); the original is lost, and surviving versions are likely Song dynasty (960–1279) copies.
• Yan Liben's Emperor Taizong Receiving the Tibetan Envoy depicts the 7th-century meeting between Emperor Taizong (598–649) and a Tibetan envoy after King Songtsen Gampo's marriage to Princess Wencheng in 641.
• Zhou Fang's Court Ladies Adorning Their Hair with Flowers reflects Tang dynasty (618–907) ideals of feminine beauty and the Festival of Flowers, celebrated in March.
• Han Huang (723–787) painted Five Oxen, a handscroll of five oxen in different poses, at a time when horse painting was favored over ox painting.
• Gu Hongzhong's The Night Revels of Han Xizai was commissioned by Emperor Li Yu (ca. 937–978) to spy on official Han Xizai (902–970); it contains more than 40 figures.
• Wang Ximeng painted A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains in 1113 at age 17; it is nearly 12 meters long and exemplifies the blue-green landscape style.
• Zhang Zeduan's Along the River During the Qingming Festival, a five-meter scroll, includes 814 people, 28 boats, 60 animals, 30 buildings, 20 vehicles, 8 sedan chairs, and 170 trees.
• Huang Gongwang's Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains was damaged by fire in 1650, splitting into two pieces: The Remaining Mountain (Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Hangzhou) and The Master Wuyong Scroll (National Palace Museum, Taipei).
• Giuseppe Castiglione (1688–1766), known as Lang Shining, served as court painter to Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong; his One Hundred Horses is an eight-meter handscroll blending European and Chinese techniques.
• A 3D animated digital version of Along the River During the Qingming Festival, titled The River of Wisdom, is on permanent exhibition at the China Art Museum, Shanghai.
• Wang Qingsong created The Night Revels of Lao Li in 2000, a photographic reinterpretation of Gu Hongzhong's painting.