Picture scroll of Zhao Mengfu drinking horses in autumn suburbs

[Zhao Mengfu’s Painting of Drinking Horses in Autumn Suburbs]

The Painting of Drinking Horses in Autumn Suburbs, made by Zhao Mengfu in the Yuan Dynasty, is a silk version with colors, 23.6 cm in length and 59 cm in width
In the upper right of this picture, there are five characters from the book “Horse Drinking in the Autumn Suburb”, and in the upper left, there is an inscription “In November of the first year of Huangqing, Ziang”. It is known that this picture was painted by Zhao Mengfu at the age of 59
Zhao Mengfu is good at portraits of people and horses, and generally pursues painstakingly realistic and meticulous writing. There are two types of specific painting styles: one is the method of Han Gan, the ancestor of Tang Dynasty. The horse is rich and fat, and the color is gorgeous. The background is set by mountains, rivers, trees and stones, and people, horses, and scenery are integrated; First, it imitates the work of Li Gonglin of the Northern Song Dynasty. The ink is light and focuses on lines. It pays attention to the unity of description, image and texture. It does not apply color, but uses ink instead of color to light dye. The characters in the paintings are all dressed in Tang costumes. The style is both “retro” and has a strong flavor of literati, which is innovative
This picture is a fine brushwork painting imitating the Tang Dynasty. In the countryside of the Qing and Autumn Period, a prison officer dressed in Tang Dynasty was herding horses by the pool. The red robe was particularly striking against the green lawn, which effectively highlighted the main character. All the ten steeds are well-balanced and active. They either chase, or walk slowly, or bow down and drink, or lead the neck to sing, with vivid mood
The layout of this picture is characteristic. The composition of the middle view is open and not open, and the right view is open. The three ways of view creation are organically combined, such as horizontal view, vertical view, and vertical view, to flexibly handle the scenery, so that the picture is open, comfortable, and dense. The painting method also combines the blue-green color method of the Tang Dynasty with the ink method of the literati since the Song Dynasty, which is unique. For example, the figure line drawing is exquisite and vigorous, and it is similar to the seal and Zhou strokes, which can be seen in the simple style; Shushi and Putuo are dignified, with hooks, chaps, cracks and dyes, which are used in combination, and the craftsmanship contains elegance; The combination of ochre and ink in the dark green and bright red highlights elegance in the thick. The overall style is both good and good, and both elegant and elegant. The combination of refined and elegant techniques and the elegant charm of the literati reflects Zhao Mengfu’s mature picture of men and horses in his later years
On the back of this volume are the inscriptions and postscripts of Ke Jiusi of the Yuan Dynasty, Hongli of the Qing Dynasty and Wang Youdun, which have been collected by various famous artists since the Yuan Dynasty. Wang Jiayu’s Coral Net, Bian Yongyu’s Collection of Paintings and Calligraphy in Shigutang, Wu Sheng’s Grand View Record and other books.