| The "Heavenly Horse - The Horse in Chinese Art and Culture" exhibition will be held from July 16 to October 13, 2008 at the Hong Kong Museum of History, featuring 60 sets of artifacts selected from various heritage institutes in China.
Picture shows one of the exhibits, "Zhao Mengfu's Yinma Tu (Feeding Horse)" from Yuan dynasty (AD 1279 -1368). Meticulously delineated in a strong and elegant hand, this line sketch depicts a groom feeding his horse with water. The man grooms sprightly and the horse is hefty and strong, resembling a steed of the Tang dynasty or the horses painted by Han Gan. The stableman's bearing and clothing are identical to those depicted in the Jin and Tang periods, indicating that this painting might have been an early work by Zhao Mengfu created in imitation of Han Gan's painting. The title of the painting is Yinma Tu (Feeding Horse), and it is affixed with the seals of notables of the Ming and Qing dynasties as well as the Imperial Collection seals of the Jiaqing and Xuantong reigns of the Qing dynasty. The commentaries at the sides were written by famous scholars of the Ming and Qing dynasties such as Song Lian, Liu Ji, Li Zhaoheng and Gao Qishi. |
