Peacock and Hollyhocks
Bian Lu
(Chinese, died 1356)
Period:
Yuan
dynasty (1271–1368)
Date:
mid-14th
century
Culture:
China
Medium:
Hanging
scroll; ink and color on silk
Dimensions:
Image:
66 7/8 x 40 1/4 in. (169.9 x 102.2 cm) Overall with mounting: 103 x 41 1/4 in.
(261.6 x 104.8 cm) Overall with knobs: 103 x 45 7/8 in. (261.6 x 116.5 cm)
Classification:
Paintings
This monumental flower-and-bird
composition shows the Uighur Bian Lu working in the highly polished tradition
of the Song Imperial Painting Academy. Only the calligraphic character of the
drawing, particularly noticeable in the rhythmic outlines of the leaves,
betrays its fourteenth-century date.
The meticulously detailed plumage of the peacock, the gritty texture of the rock, and the delicately shaded leaves and blossoms are a tour de force of representational illusionism. The bird's pose, dramatically balanced on one leg as it prepares to take another step, may refer to a famous anecdote about the Song emperor Huizong, who chided his court painters for failing to observe that when climbing, the peacock always takes the first step with its left leg.
The meticulously detailed plumage of the peacock, the gritty texture of the rock, and the delicately shaded leaves and blossoms are a tour de force of representational illusionism. The bird's pose, dramatically balanced on one leg as it prepares to take another step, may refer to a famous anecdote about the Song emperor Huizong, who chided his court painters for failing to observe that when climbing, the peacock always takes the first step with its left leg.
No comments:
Post a Comment