Peahen and hibiscus
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.
Artwork Details
- 元 邊魯 孔雀芙蓉圖 軸
- Title: Peahen and hibiscus
- Artist: Bian Lu (Chinese, active mid-14th century)
- 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
- Credit Line: Purchase, The Dillon Fund and The B. Y. Lam Foundation Gifts, 1995
- Object Number: 1995.186
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
Audio
7486. Peacock and Hollyhocks
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China
ca. 1319
Unidentified artist
mid-12th century
Ni Zan
dated 1372
Guo Xi
ca. 1080
Emperor Huizong
early 12th century
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