Divinities of the Planets and Constellations
The subject and imagery of this painting are derived from a composition attributed to the Tang dynasty (618–907) artist Liang Lingzan that is now in the collection of the Osaka Municipal Museum of Art. The painting depicts the deities of the Five Planets, which correspond to the five primary elements—wood (Jupiter), fire (Mars), earth (Saturn), metal (Venus), and water (Mercury)—and the twenty-eight constellations of the Chinese zodiac.
Qiu Ying, a fine artist in his own right, was also famous as a skilled copyist of earlier paintings. Such copies were highly valued by collectors and other artists who might not have access to the originals. This painting bears the signature and seals of Qiu Ying but may itself be a later copy.
Qiu Ying, a fine artist in his own right, was also famous as a skilled copyist of earlier paintings. Such copies were highly valued by collectors and other artists who might not have access to the originals. This painting bears the signature and seals of Qiu Ying but may itself be a later copy.
Artwork Details
- 明 佚名 傳仇英 五星二十八宿神形圖 卷
- Title: Divinities of the Planets and Constellations
- Artist: Attributed to Qiu Ying (Chinese, ca. 1495–1552)
- Period: Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
- Date: 16th century
- Culture: China
- Medium: Handscroll; ink and color on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 7 9/16 x 158 1/4 in. (19.2 x 402 cm)
Overall with mounting: 9 3/4 x 376 15/16 in. (24.8 x 957.4 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Gift of Douglas Dillon, 1989
- Object Number: 1989.235.4
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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Qiu Ying
Qiu Ying
16th century
Qiu Ying
Qiu Ying
16th or 17th century
Wu Bin
dated 1591
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