Painting has always been regarded by the Chinese as a supreme art, its merits equal to that of poetry and philosophy. Primarily an art on silk and paper, mounted on rollers and forming vertical or horizontal scrolls, Chinese paintings are only suitable for display for a short period of time. In the past, the most precious scrolls were preserved in Imperial and private collections, as well as in inaccessible temples in China and Japan. Many of the scrolls that have survived are now acquired by modern museums and looked after by curators and conservators.

The publication of Masterpieces of Chinese Painting coincides with the opening of the UK’s first exhibition since 1935 to bring together some of the finest Chinese paintings created during the successive periods of over 1000 years; all the paintings come from the richest and most representative collections in the world. The book provides an up-to-date, stimulating and authoritative guide to these great works – for those who can observe them in person in the exhibition and for those who must view them through the printed page – including the best works by the greatest masters such as Liang Kai, as well as those by lesser known artists. All the paintings are reproduced in full, together with enlarged details.

Masterpieces of Chinese Painting, authored by a team of a new generation of international scholars, begins with an extensive introduction explaining the background against which the Chinese painters worked. In the introductory essays, the authors discuss the social context in which paintings were created and displayed in the tomb, temple, palace or scholar’s studio. They also consider the role of the patron, and explore the reasons why new subject matters, genres, formats and techniques were introduced and why earlier traditions survived. They then describe the painters’ materials and techniques, drawing on recent research to explain the preparation of silk and paper, the use of colours and ink, and special techniques such as back-painting. The introductory essays also give an account of the history of collecting Chinese paintings in China and abroad, to help explain why some of the paintings in the book are considered masterpieces today.

The book concludes with a collection of detailed commentaries on 80–90 of the finest paintings in the exhibition, covering a great variety beginning in the

Layers of Painting1200 years of Chinese Masterpieces

hongxing zhang

41

Cat. 00, detail

Painting has always been regarded by the Chinese as a supreme art, its merits equal to that of poetry and philosophy. Primarily an art on silk and paper, mounted on rollers and forming vertical or horizontal scrolls, Chinese paintings are only suitable for display for a short period of time. In the past, the most precious scrolls were preserved in Imperial and private collections, as well as in inaccessible temples in China and Japan. Many of the scrolls that have survived are now acquired by modern museums and looked after by curators and conservators.

The publication of Masterpieces of Chinese Painting coincides with the opening of the UK’s first exhibition since 1935 to bring together some of the finest Chinese paintings created during the successive periods of over 1000 years; all the paintings come from the richest and most representative collections in the world. The book provides an up-to-date, stimulating and authoritative guide to these great works – for those who can observe them in person in the exhibition and for those who must view them through the printed page – including the best works by the greatest masters such as Liang Kai, as well as those by lesser known artists. All the paintings are reproduced in full, together with enlarged details.

Masterpieces of Chinese Painting, authored by a team of a new generation of international scholars, begins with an extensive introduction explaining the background against which the Chinese painters worked. In the introductory essays, the authors discuss the social context in which paintings were created and displayed in the tomb, temple, palace or scholar’s studio. They also consider the role of the patron, and explore the reasons why new subject matters, genres, formats and techniques were introduced and why earlier traditions survived. They then describe the painters’ materials and techniques, drawing on recent research to explain the preparation of silk and paper, the use of colours and ink, and special techniques such as back-painting. The introductory essays also give an account of the history of collecting Chinese paintings in China and abroad, to help explain why some of the paintings in the book are considered masterpieces today.

The book concludes with a collection of detailed commentaries on 80–90 of the finest paintings in the exhibition, covering a great variety beginning in the

Layers of Painting1200 years of Chinese Masterpieces

hongxing zhang

41

Cat. 00, detail

early eighth century devotional hangings from the Dunhuang caves on the edge of the Gobi desert, to the self-portraits by the artists living in Shanghai in the nineteenth century during an age of Western influence. Together these commentaries present a remarkable chronicle, enabling readers to trace the development of Chinese painting from the eighth to the nineteenth century, and to develop an eye for style, technique, imagery and genre, through the appreciation of the talents of individual artists.

Painting has always been regarded by the Chinese as a supreme art, its merits equal to that of poetry and philosophy. Primarily an art on silk and paper, mounted on rollers and forming vertical or horizontal scrolls, Chinese paintings are only suitable for display for a short period of time. In the past, the most precious scrolls were preserved in Imperial and private collections, as well as in inaccessible temples in China and Japan. Many of the scrolls that have survived are now acquired by modern museums and looked after by curators and conservators.

The publication of Masterpieces of Chinese Painting coincides with the opening of the UK’s first exhibition since 1935 to bring together some of the finest Chinese paintings created during the successive periods of over 1000 years; all the paintings come from the richest and most representative collections in the world. The book provides an up-to-date, stimulating and authoritative guide to these great works – for those who can observe them in person in the exhibition and for those who must view them through the printed page – including the best works by the greatest masters such as Liang Kai, as well as those by lesser known artists. All the paintings are reproduced in full, together with enlarged details.

The publication of Masterpieces of Chinese Painting coincides with the opening of the UK’s first exhibition since 1935 to bring together some of the finest Chinese paintings created during the successive periods of over 1000 years; all the paintings come from the richest and most representative collections in the world. The book provides an up-to-date, stimulating and authoritative guide to these great works – for those who can observe them in person in the exhibition and for those who must view them through the printed page – including the best works by the greatest masters such as Liang Kai, as well as those by lesser known artists. All the paintings are reproduced in full, together with enlarged details.

Masterpieces of Chinese Painting, authored by a team of a new generation of international scholars, begins with an extensive introduction explaining the background against which the Chinese painters worked. In the introductory essays, the authors discuss the social context in which paintings were created and displayed in the tomb, temple, palace or scholar’s studio. They also consider the role of the patron, and explore the reasons why new subject matters, genres, formats and techniques were introduced and why earlier traditions survived. They then describe the painters’ materials and techniques, drawing on recent

research to explain the preparation of silk and paper, the use of colours and ink, and special techniques such as back-painting. The introductory essays also give an account of the history of collecting Chinese paintings in China and abroad, to help explain why some of the paintings in the book are considered masterpieces today.

The book concludes with a collection of detailed commentaries on 80–90 of the finest paintings in the exhibition, covering a great variety beginning in the early eighth century devotional hangings from the Dunhuang caves on the edge of the Gobi desert, to the self-portraits by the artists living in Shanghai in the nineteenth century during an age of Western influence. Together these commentaries present a remarkable chronicle, enabling readers to trace the development of Chinese painting from the eighth to the nineteenth century, and to develop an eye for style, technique, imagery and genre, through the appreciation of the talents of individual artists.

Painting has always been regarded by the Chinese as a supreme art, its merits equal to that of poetry and philosophy. Primarily an art on silk and paper,

4342 l a y e r s o f p a i n t i n g

fig. 00ArtistTitle of work, datemedium, dimensionslocation

early eighth century devotional hangings from the Dunhuang caves on the edge of the Gobi desert, to the self-portraits by the artists living in Shanghai in the nineteenth century during an age of Western influence. Together these commentaries present a remarkable chronicle, enabling readers to trace the development of Chinese painting from the eighth to the nineteenth century, and to develop an eye for style, technique, imagery and genre, through the appreciation of the talents of individual artists.

Painting has always been regarded by the Chinese as a supreme art, its merits equal to that of poetry and philosophy. Primarily an art on silk and paper, mounted on rollers and forming vertical or horizontal scrolls, Chinese paintings are only suitable for display for a short period of time. In the past, the most precious scrolls were preserved in Imperial and private collections, as well as in inaccessible temples in China and Japan. Many of the scrolls that have survived are now acquired by modern museums and looked after by curators and conservators.

The publication of Masterpieces of Chinese Painting coincides with the opening of the UK’s first exhibition since 1935 to bring together some of the finest Chinese paintings created during the successive periods of over 1000 years; all the paintings come from the richest and most representative collections in the world. The book provides an up-to-date, stimulating and authoritative guide to these great works – for those who can observe them in person in the exhibition and for those who must view them through the printed page – including the best works by the greatest masters such as Liang Kai, as well as those by lesser known artists. All the paintings are reproduced in full, together with enlarged details.

The publication of Masterpieces of Chinese Painting coincides with the opening of the UK’s first exhibition since 1935 to bring together some of the finest Chinese paintings created during the successive periods of over 1000 years; all the paintings come from the richest and most representative collections in the world. The book provides an up-to-date, stimulating and authoritative guide to these great works – for those who can observe them in person in the exhibition and for those who must view them through the printed page – including the best works by the greatest masters such as Liang Kai, as well as those by lesser known artists. All the paintings are reproduced in full, together with enlarged details.

Masterpieces of Chinese Painting, authored by a team of a new generation of international scholars, begins with an extensive introduction explaining the background against which the Chinese painters worked. In the introductory essays, the authors discuss the social context in which paintings were created and displayed in the tomb, temple, palace or scholar’s studio. They also consider the role of the patron, and explore the reasons why new subject matters, genres, formats and techniques were introduced and why earlier traditions survived. They then describe the painters’ materials and techniques, drawing on recent

research to explain the preparation of silk and paper, the use of colours and ink, and special techniques such as back-painting. The introductory essays also give an account of the history of collecting Chinese paintings in China and abroad, to help explain why some of the paintings in the book are considered masterpieces today.

The book concludes with a collection of detailed commentaries on 80–90 of the finest paintings in the exhibition, covering a great variety beginning in the early eighth century devotional hangings from the Dunhuang caves on the edge of the Gobi desert, to the self-portraits by the artists living in Shanghai in the nineteenth century during an age of Western influence. Together these commentaries present a remarkable chronicle, enabling readers to trace the development of Chinese painting from the eighth to the nineteenth century, and to develop an eye for style, technique, imagery and genre, through the appreciation of the talents of individual artists.

Painting has always been regarded by the Chinese as a supreme art, its merits equal to that of poetry and philosophy. Primarily an art on silk and paper,

4342 l a y e r s o f p a i n t i n g

fig. 00ArtistTitle of work, datemedium, dimensionslocation

82 83

In Chinese poetry, working on silk is always related to the theme of longing for a husband who is far away from home due to forced labor or military service. In ancient China, women were supposed to prepare silk in the autumn to make winter clothes and send them to the male members of the family before the winter, especially those who were stationed in the northern frontier. This renders the theme of preparing silk and clothes sentimental and melancholy. Poems of preparing silk became popular from 4th century to 6th century as a part of the literary genre of sifu shi 思婦詩 (poems of ladies missing husband). This tradition continued into the Tang dynasty when this scroll was originally created.

Preparing silk was part of the daily routine in autumns for every family. In the painting itself, there is no direct evidence that verifies the court identify of the ladies, even though they likely are from rich and noble families as their luxuriously embroidered silk clothes suggest. From another perspective, court ladies were actually encouraged to do weaving and sewing, because they were expected to be exemplary for ordinary women. In traditional Chinese society, which was essentially agricultural, weaving was regarded as one of the most important female virtues as opposed to the male responsibility of farming. In the Tang dynasty it was reported that the stone for pounding silk was listed as part of a princess’ dowry. Emperors of the Tang dynasty even rewarded the clothes made by the court ladies to the soldiers in front lines in order to stimulate the morale.

At the same time, preparing clothes for the emperor was a good opportunity for the imperial concubines to show their loyalty and love to their faraway husband. Their single-minded occupation of making clothes, however, contrasted dramatically with their lonely life in the forbidden palace. Preparing silk thus became a

repeated motif in the genre of Gongyuan shi 宮怨詩 (The Melancholy Poems of the Palaces).

Excavated stamped bricks and stone engravings witness the prevalence of this motif from the Tang dynasty. It continued in the Song dynasty (960–1279) when this scroll and its well-known counterpart, Mou Yi’s 牟益 (1178–1242) Daoyi Tu 搗衣圖 (The Illustration of Pounding Clothes) were made.

Whereas Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty 金章宗 (r.1189–1208) in his inscription attributes this painting to Emperor Huizong (r.1100–1127), it is more likely that the scroll was copied by court painters in Emperor Huizong’s Painting Academy after the original piece from the Tang dynasty. The reason for this is twofold: firstly, painting ladies was not Emperor Huizong’s specialty; secondly, such refinement of the brushwork and coloration usually characterized works produced by professional painters in the Painting Academy. Critically speaking, the attribution of the original painting to Zhang Xuan (fl. 8th century), a famous Tang court painter, as claimed by Emperor Zhangzong, cannot be confirmed.

Unlike the style of representing beauty by slim bodies in the Southern and Northern dynasties (420–589), the ladies’ plump faces and voluminous bodies show the typical fashion of the mid-Tang dynasty, when Zhang Xuan was active. In terms of the subject, Zhang’s specialty was figure painting especially ladies and children, which correspond well with the theme of this scroll. Furthermore, the title of Illustrations of Pounding Silk as one of Zhang’s works is recorded in the imperial painting catalog of the Song dynasty. These points explain why traditionally scholars have related this scroll to Zhang. Since none of Zhang’s original works survive today, it is almost impossible to reach a final conclusion about the attribution.

21

Court ladies preparing newly woven silk搗練圖卷 (傳 宋徽宗)

Chinese, Northern Song dynasty, early 12th centuryAttributed to Emperor Huizong, Chinese, 1082–1135, ruled 1100–1125

Inscribed by Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty, r. 1190–1208Colophon by Zhang Shen, 14th centuryLabel written by Gao Shiqi, Chinese, 1645–1704Label written by Luo Wenbin, ChineseSpecial Chinese and Japanese Fund

Handscroll, ink, color, and gold on silk, image 37.1 × 145 cm Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (12.886)

P r o v e n a n c e

12th century, Emperor Huizong (1082–1135), Song Dynasty; 1126, upon the defeat of the Northern Song Dynasty by the Jurchens, taken with the art collections to Manchuria; passed to Emperor Zhangzong (1168–1208), Jin Dynasty. By 1697, Gao Shiqi (– 1704), Qing Dynasty. First half of the 19th century, Jin Futing, Shanghai. 1898, with Luo Wenbin (?). May, 1912, sold in Beijing, probably by Wanyan Jingxian (d. by 1928), to Okakura Kakuzo (1862–1913) for the MFA (accessioned 5 September 1912)

82 83

In Chinese poetry, working on silk is always related to the theme of longing for a husband who is far away from home due to forced labor or military service. In ancient China, women were supposed to prepare silk in the autumn to make winter clothes and send them to the male members of the family before the winter, especially those who were stationed in the northern frontier. This renders the theme of preparing silk and clothes sentimental and melancholy. Poems of preparing silk became popular from 4th century to 6th century as a part of the literary genre of sifu shi 思婦詩 (poems of ladies missing husband). This tradition continued into the Tang dynasty when this scroll was originally created.

Preparing silk was part of the daily routine in autumns for every family. In the painting itself, there is no direct evidence that verifies the court identify of the ladies, even though they likely are from rich and noble families as their luxuriously embroidered silk clothes suggest. From another perspective, court ladies were actually encouraged to do weaving and sewing, because they were expected to be exemplary for ordinary women. In traditional Chinese society, which was essentially agricultural, weaving was regarded as one of the most important female virtues as opposed to the male responsibility of farming. In the Tang dynasty it was reported that the stone for pounding silk was listed as part of a princess’ dowry. Emperors of the Tang dynasty even rewarded the clothes made by the court ladies to the soldiers in front lines in order to stimulate the morale.

At the same time, preparing clothes for the emperor was a good opportunity for the imperial concubines to show their loyalty and love to their faraway husband. Their single-minded occupation of making clothes, however, contrasted dramatically with their lonely life in the forbidden palace. Preparing silk thus became a

repeated motif in the genre of Gongyuan shi 宮怨詩 (The Melancholy Poems of the Palaces).

Excavated stamped bricks and stone engravings witness the prevalence of this motif from the Tang dynasty. It continued in the Song dynasty (960–1279) when this scroll and its well-known counterpart, Mou Yi’s 牟益 (1178–1242) Daoyi Tu 搗衣圖 (The Illustration of Pounding Clothes) were made.

Whereas Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty 金章宗 (r.1189–1208) in his inscription attributes this painting to Emperor Huizong (r.1100–1127), it is more likely that the scroll was copied by court painters in Emperor Huizong’s Painting Academy after the original piece from the Tang dynasty. The reason for this is twofold: firstly, painting ladies was not Emperor Huizong’s specialty; secondly, such refinement of the brushwork and coloration usually characterized works produced by professional painters in the Painting Academy. Critically speaking, the attribution of the original painting to Zhang Xuan (fl. 8th century), a famous Tang court painter, as claimed by Emperor Zhangzong, cannot be confirmed.

Unlike the style of representing beauty by slim bodies in the Southern and Northern dynasties (420–589), the ladies’ plump faces and voluminous bodies show the typical fashion of the mid-Tang dynasty, when Zhang Xuan was active. In terms of the subject, Zhang’s specialty was figure painting especially ladies and children, which correspond well with the theme of this scroll. Furthermore, the title of Illustrations of Pounding Silk as one of Zhang’s works is recorded in the imperial painting catalog of the Song dynasty. These points explain why traditionally scholars have related this scroll to Zhang. Since none of Zhang’s original works survive today, it is almost impossible to reach a final conclusion about the attribution.

21

Court ladies preparing newly woven silk搗練圖卷 (傳 宋徽宗)

Chinese, Northern Song dynasty, early 12th centuryAttributed to Emperor Huizong, Chinese, 1082–1135, ruled 1100–1125

Inscribed by Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty, r. 1190–1208Colophon by Zhang Shen, 14th centuryLabel written by Gao Shiqi, Chinese, 1645–1704Label written by Luo Wenbin, ChineseSpecial Chinese and Japanese Fund

Handscroll, ink, color, and gold on silk, image 37.1 × 145 cm Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (12.886)

P r o v e n a n c e

12th century, Emperor Huizong (1082–1135), Song Dynasty; 1126, upon the defeat of the Northern Song Dynasty by the Jurchens, taken with the art collections to Manchuria; passed to Emperor Zhangzong (1168–1208), Jin Dynasty. By 1697, Gao Shiqi (– 1704), Qing Dynasty. First half of the 19th century, Jin Futing, Shanghai. 1898, with Luo Wenbin (?). May, 1912, sold in Beijing, probably by Wanyan Jingxian (d. by 1928), to Okakura Kakuzo (1862–1913) for the MFA (accessioned 5 September 1912)

84 85

84 85

In Chinese poetry, working on silk is always related to the theme of longing for a husband who is far away from home due to forced labor or military service. In ancient China, women were supposed to prepare silk in the autumn to make winter clothes and send them to the male members of the family before the winter, especially those who were stationed in the northern frontier. This renders the theme of preparing silk and clothes sentimental and melancholy. Poems of preparing silk became popular from 4th century to 6th century as a part of the literary genre of sifu shi 思婦詩 (poems of ladies missing husband). This tradition continued into the Tang dynasty when this scroll was originally created.

Preparing silk was part of the daily routine in autumns for every family. In the painting itself, there is no direct evidence that verifies the court identify of the ladies, even though they likely are from rich and noble families as their luxuriously embroidered silk clothes suggest. From another perspective, court ladies were actually encouraged to do weaving and sewing, because they were expected to be exemplary for ordinary women. In traditional Chinese society, which was essentially agricultural, weaving was regarded as one of the most important female virtues as opposed to the male responsibility of farming. In the Tang dynasty it was reported that the stone for pounding silk was listed as part of a princess’ dowry. Emperors of the Tang dynasty even rewarded the clothes made by the court ladies to the soldiers in front lines in order to stimulate the morale.

At the same time, preparing clothes for the emperor was a good opportunity for the imperial concubines to show their loyalty and love to their faraway husband. Their single-minded occupation of making clothes, however, contrasted dramatically with their lonely life in the forbidden palace. Preparing silk thus became a

repeated motif in the genre of Gongyuan shi 宮怨詩 (The Melancholy Poems of the Palaces).

Excavated stamped bricks and stone engravings witness the prevalence of this motif from the Tang dynasty. It continued in the Song dynasty (960–1279) when this scroll and its well-known counterpart, Mou Yi’s 牟益 (1178–1242) Daoyi Tu 搗衣圖 (The Illustration of Pounding Clothes) were made.

Whereas Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty 金章宗 (r.1189–1208) in his inscription attributes this painting to Emperor Huizong (r.1100–1127), it is more likely that the scroll was copied by court painters in Emperor Huizong’s Painting Academy after the original piece from the Tang dynasty. The reason for this is twofold: firstly, painting ladies was not Emperor Huizong’s specialty; secondly, such refinement of the brushwork and coloration usually characterized works produced by professional painters in the Painting Academy. Critically speaking, the attribution of the original painting to Zhang Xuan (fl. 8th century), a famous Tang court painter, as claimed by Emperor Zhangzong, cannot be confirmed.

Unlike the style of representing beauty by slim bodies in the Southern and Northern dynasties (420–589), the ladies’ plump faces and voluminous bodies show the typical fashion of the mid-Tang dynasty, when Zhang Xuan was active. In terms of the subject, Zhang’s specialty was figure painting especially ladies and children, which correspond well with the theme of this scroll. Furthermore, the title of Illustrations of Pounding Silk as one of Zhang’s works is recorded in the imperial painting catalog of the Song dynasty. These points explain why traditionally scholars have related this scroll to Zhang. Since none of Zhang’s original works survive today, it is almost impossible to reach a final conclusion about the attribution.

22

New title搗練圖卷 (傳 宋徽宗)

Chinese, Northern Song dynasty, early 12th centuryAttributed to Emperor Huizong, Chinese, 1082–1135, ruled 1100–1125

Inscribed by Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty, r. 1190–1208Colophon by Zhang Shen, 14th centuryLabel written by Gao Shiqi, Chinese, 1645–1704Label written by Luo Wenbin, ChineseSpecial Chinese and Japanese Fund

Handscroll, ink, color, and gold on silk, image 37.1 × 145 cm Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (12.886)

P r o v e n a n c e

12th century, Emperor Huizong (1082–1135), Song Dynasty; 1126, upon the defeat of the Northern Song Dynasty by the Jurchens, taken with the art collections to Manchuria; passed to Emperor Zhangzong (1168–1208), Jin Dynasty. By 1697, Gao Shiqi (– 1704), Qing Dynasty. First half of the 19th century, Jin Futing, Shanghai. 1898, with Luo Wenbin (?). May, 1912, sold in Beijing, probably by Wanyan Jingxian (d. by 1928), to Okakura Kakuzo (1862–1913) for the MFA (accessioned 5 September 1912)

86 87

In Chinese poetry, working on silk is always related to the theme of longing for a husband who is far away from home due to forced labor or military service. In ancient China, women were supposed to prepare silk in the autumn to make winter clothes and send them to the male members of the family before the winter, especially those who were stationed in the northern frontier. This renders the theme of preparing silk and clothes sentimental and melancholy. Poems of preparing silk became popular from 4th century to 6th century as a part of the literary genre of sifu shi 思婦詩 (poems of ladies missing husband). This tradition continued into the Tang dynasty when this scroll was originally created.

Preparing silk was part of the daily routine in autumns for every family. In the painting itself, there is no direct evidence that verifies the court identify of the ladies, even though they likely are from rich and noble families as their luxuriously embroidered silk clothes suggest. From another perspective, court ladies were actually encouraged to do weaving and sewing, because they were expected to be exemplary for ordinary women. In traditional Chinese society, which was essentially agricultural, weaving was regarded as one of the most important female virtues as opposed to the male responsibility of farming. In the Tang dynasty it was reported that the stone for pounding silk was listed as part of a princess’ dowry. Emperors of the Tang dynasty even rewarded the clothes made by the court ladies to the soldiers in front lines in order to stimulate the morale.

At the same time, preparing clothes for the emperor was a good opportunity for the imperial concubines to show their loyalty and love to their faraway husband. Their single-minded occupation of making clothes, however, contrasted dramatically with their lonely life in the forbidden palace. Preparing silk thus became a

repeated motif in the genre of Gongyuan shi 宮怨詩 (The Melancholy Poems of the Palaces).

Excavated stamped bricks and stone engravings witness the prevalence of this motif from the Tang dynasty. It continued in the Song dynasty (960–1279) when this scroll and its well-known counterpart, Mou Yi’s 牟益 (1178–1242) Daoyi Tu 搗衣圖 (The Illustration of Pounding Clothes) were made.

Whereas Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty 金章宗 (r.1189–1208) in his inscription attributes this painting to Emperor Huizong (r.1100–1127), it is more likely that the scroll was copied by court painters in Emperor Huizong’s Painting Academy after the original piece from the Tang dynasty. The reason for this is twofold: firstly, painting ladies was not Emperor Huizong’s specialty; secondly, such refinement of the brushwork and coloration usually characterized works produced by professional painters in the Painting Academy. Critically speaking, the attribution of the original painting to Zhang Xuan (fl. 8th century), a famous Tang court painter, as claimed by Emperor Zhangzong, cannot be confirmed.

Unlike the style of representing beauty by slim bodies in the Southern and Northern dynasties (420–589), the ladies’ plump faces and voluminous bodies show the typical fashion of the mid-Tang dynasty, when Zhang Xuan was active. In terms of the subject, Zhang’s specialty was figure painting especially ladies and children, which correspond well with the theme of this scroll. Furthermore, the title of Illustrations of Pounding Silk as one of Zhang’s works is recorded in the imperial painting catalog of the Song dynasty. These points explain why traditionally scholars have related this scroll to Zhang. Since none of Zhang’s original works survive today, it is almost impossible to reach a final conclusion about the attribution.

22

New title搗練圖卷 (傳 宋徽宗)

Chinese, Northern Song dynasty, early 12th centuryAttributed to Emperor Huizong, Chinese, 1082–1135, ruled 1100–1125

Inscribed by Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty, r. 1190–1208Colophon by Zhang Shen, 14th centuryLabel written by Gao Shiqi, Chinese, 1645–1704Label written by Luo Wenbin, ChineseSpecial Chinese and Japanese Fund

Handscroll, ink, color, and gold on silk, image 37.1 × 145 cm Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (12.886)

P r o v e n a n c e

12th century, Emperor Huizong (1082–1135), Song Dynasty; 1126, upon the defeat of the Northern Song Dynasty by the Jurchens, taken with the art collections to Manchuria; passed to Emperor Zhangzong (1168–1208), Jin Dynasty. By 1697, Gao Shiqi (– 1704), Qing Dynasty. First half of the 19th century, Jin Futing, Shanghai. 1898, with Luo Wenbin (?). May, 1912, sold in Beijing, probably by Wanyan Jingxian (d. by 1928), to Okakura Kakuzo (1862–1913) for the MFA (accessioned 5 September 1912)

86 87