Qingming Festival on the River, unknown maker from China

Exhibition Label: "Asian Gallery," Jul-2003, Youmi Efurd This handscroll is a later copy of a famous painting by Zhang Zeduan (active early 12th century) in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). In the Five Dynasties (907-960) and Song dynasty (970-1279), pictorial images of city life, commerce, and industry were depicted in the jiehua (ruled-line painting) technique, meaning buildings, ships and other objects are rendered with the aid of rulers. This painting was produced by an anonymous artist in a late Ming dynasty workshop (1368-1644). Invaluable as a document of its time, the handscroll is impressive in its vast detail of people, places, and activities. The copy is true to Zhang Zeduan’s composition but reflects the customs and architecture of the 17th century rather of the 12th century. Archive Label (2003): The original painting of the Qingming shanghetu was done by the Northern Song artist Zhang Xeduan, who was a court painter in the reign of Emperor Huizong (r. 1100-1125). The painting was probably done in the last years of the Emperor's reign. It depicts the scenes in the Nothern Song capital Bianliang. Since it was completed, the painting has been copied numerous times. The painting in the Spencer Museum of Art is just one of those copies. The frontispiece attributes it to the Ming dynasty artist Qiu Ying. A comparison with Zhang Zeduan's original shows that the Spencer scroll is a rather free copy. It is a record of the daily life of the 16th century rather than that of the 12th century. As an invaluable document of its time, this long handscroll depicts more than five hundred people of various fields engaged in diferent activities. Archive Label date unknown: This eighteen-foot-long handscroll is a later copy of a famous painting by Chang Tsu-tuan (ca. 1118-1125) in the National Palace Museum in Beijing. The copy was produced by an anonymous artist in a late Ming dynasty workshop. It depicts an important early spring festival held yearly along the banks of the Pien River that flowed through the Northern Sung (10-12th century) capital. Invaluable as a document of its time, the handscroll is impressive in its vast detail of people, places, and activities. The copy is true to Chang Tse-tuan's composition but reflects the customs and architecture of the 17th century rather than of the 12th century.