Axis of Tang Yin’s Shu Palace prostitutes

[Axis of Tang Yin’s Palace and Prostitutes in Shu]

Axis of the Map of Wang Shu’s Palace and Prostitutes, made by Tang Yin in the Ming Dynasty, silk, colored, 124.7 cm long and 63.6 cm horizontal
The title of this picture is: “The Taoist clothes of the lotus flower crown are used to serve the king’s feast. The flowers and willows do not know who has gone, and fight for green and romance year after year. Every time the Lord of Shu wraps a small towel in the palace, he orders the palace prostitute to wear the Taoist clothes of the lotus crown, and the flowers and willows of the day are used to serve the feast. The rumours of Shu have overflowed, but the Lord’s not pumping it in, but it has come to the end. The order to shake his head is not without a pinch. Tang Yin.”
The original name of this picture is “The Map of the Palace Prostitutes of Meng Shu”, Commonly known as the “Four Beauties”, it was first named by Wang Jiayu’s “Coral Net · Painting Record” at the end of the Ming Dynasty and has been used since. According to the recent research in a special article, it should be changed to “The Painting of Prostitutes in the Palace of Wang Shu”, which depicts the story of the harem of Wang Yan, the former Shu queen of five dynasties. In the picture, four dancing maids are dressing up to be served by the king. They wear golden lotus corollas, clouds and rosy colored Taoist costumes, and rouge on their faces. They are plump and beautiful, dignified and charming. Wang Yan, the queen of Shu, once wrote the song “Ganzhou Song”, describing the charming state of the palace prostitutes in Taoist clothing: “Draw a skirt, which can end, and weigh the waist. The willow eyebrows and peach faces are too springy, and the spirit of thin feet. Unfortunately, they fall into the dust.” Tang Yin created this painting to reveal the wanton and corrupt life of the former queen of Shu, Wang Yan, with a clear allegorical meaning
This picture is the representative work of Tang Yin’s meticulous painting style, which shows his superb skills in modeling, painting and color setting. The beauty of the ladies’ body is symmetrical and beautiful, the shoulders are cut and the back is narrow, the willow eyebrows and cherry buns, the forehead, nose and chin are painted with “three white”, which not only absorbs the characteristics of the “Tang makeup” ladies’ modeling created by Zhang Xuan and Zhou Fang, but also reflects the aesthetic style of the Ming Dynasty’s pursuit of beauty and beauty. The four people stand in a smooth and orderly manner, and form dynamic and diverse changes and close contact with each other through slightly tilted head, slightly curved posture and climbing arms, which strengthens the richness and vitality of the image. The brush and ink skills are similar to that of Du Jin, who was born in the Tang Dynasty. The clothing pattern is made of strings, which is fine, smooth, elastic and textured. The decoration of the crown and clothing is particularly exquisite and meticulous. The colors are bright, with strong contrast between dark, cold and warm colors, as well as subtle transition and matching of similar colors, which makes the overall color rich and harmonious, and rich and elegant. The painting style of the works has the artistic characteristics of both refined and popular tastes.