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national treasure of Chinese paintings |
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A famous ancient painting
in China, The Qingming Festival by the Riverside , is
a long, painted scroll 528 cm long and 24.8 cm wide, which
portrays street scenes of Bianjing (today's Kaifeng City,
Henan Province), the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty
(960-1127). |
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| The work was created by Zhang Zeduan, a native
of Shandong Province who studied painting in his early years
in Bianjing. Later, Zhang became a painter for the Imperial
Painting Academy of the Northern Song Dynasty. Although there
aren't many historical records about Zhang, his name is remembered
simply due to this masterpiece. |
| The oeuvre depicts the noisy streets of Bianjing
during the Qingming Festival -- a festival for mourning ancestors
-- at a time when the custom of going to street fairs was very
popular. The painting features magnificent and complex scenes
with a rigorous structure, which can be divided into three parts:
scenes of the suburbs, Bian River and city streets. |
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In the suburban scene,
farmers are working in the fields and wealthy people are
returning from mourning. The street is crowded with people
on horseback, wheel carts and sedan chairs. |
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| The scene of the Bian River is the most
magnificent: The arched bridge stands like a rainbow over
the river with streams of people bustling about. Under
the bridge are many boats competing for the right of way.
Some interesting scenes are presented in great detail.
For instance, a horse has shied on the bridge, scaring
a donkey and attracting many onlookers. |
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| The importance of Bianjing as the political,
economic and cultural center of the Northern Song Dynasty in
the empire is fully depicted in the painting's city street scene.
The streets are lined with government mansions, residential
courtyards, workshops, teahouses and grocery stores. Various
wagons and people from all walks of life can be seen in the
picture, conveying an exciting and bustling atmosphere. The
scenes in the picture are carefully arranged, forming an interesting
contrast and good sense of rhythm. The depiction of the architecture,
merchants and transportation in Bianjing vividly reflects the
economic boom of the Northern Song Dynasty. |
| There are over 550 human figures, some 60 animals,
20 wooden boats, 30 rooms and pavilions, and about 20 vehicles
of various kinds in The Qingming Festival by the Riverside .
Few ancient paintings contain such an abundance of rich contents.
Furthermore, every figure and detailed scene is arranged strategically,
creating chaos that appears to have some order to it. All such
elements reveal the painter's careful observation of life and
his supreme painting skills. |
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| The Qingming Festival by the Riverside is a
great and rare realistic painting that provides a vivid visual
depiction of business, handicrafts, architecture and transport
in the big metropolis of the Northern. |
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that both the source and author are acknowledged and a
notifying email is sent to us.
If you want to order The hand-painted
Qingming Festival by the Riverside, Please don’t hesitate to
contact us: sales@worldsilkroad.com |
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