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In the case of this painting,
the presence of inscriptions and seals
reveals very important facts. The inscription on the right edge of the paper reads
"Han Gan's painting of Night-Shining White," known from historical records
to be one of the prized steeds of the Tang emperor Xuanzong's (r. 712–56)
stables. Han Gan (active ca. 742–56), a court painter employed by Emperor
Xuanzong, was famous for his depictions of horses. The accompanying seal indicates
that this inscription was written by Li Yu (r. 940–56), an emperor of the
Southern Tang dynasty, and that the painting was
included in the imperial collection. As
one of the most celebrated horse portraits in Chinese art, this painting contains
more than twenty inscriptions and seals from the ninth to the twentieth century.
Scholars have also identified the seals of other important owners, including Emperor
Qianlong (r. 1736–95) of the Qing dynasty, noted art collectors Jia Sidao
(d. 1275), Xiang Yuanbian (1525–1595), Geng Zhaozhong (1640–1686), and
An Qi (1633–after 1742), the ninth-century art historian Zhang
Yanyuan, and the Song artist and calligrapher Mi
Fu (1052–1107). |
