Painting in National Palace Museum, Song dynasty part1

Welcome to the National Palace Museum's collection of paintings from the Song dynasty! Here, you can explore some of the most beautiful and intricate works of art from this period. From the Strange Peaks and Myriad Trees painting that depicts mountains in the background with clouds and mist in the foreground, to the River Boats and Mountain Town painting that shows a town with a mountainside temple and countryside shops, these pieces are sure to amaze you. You will also find The Buddha Preaching the Law painting, Preparing Clothes painting, The Ladies' Book of Filial Piety (Scroll 1) painting, Literary Gathering painting, Scroll of Buddhist Images painting, Plants and Insects in Autumn painting, Reading in an Open Hall painting and Strange Peaks and Myriad Trees painting. Come take a look at these incredible artifacts today!

1. Strange Peaks and Myriad Trees

This painting shows mountains in the background with clouds and mist in the foreground. The different sizes and shapes of the mountains create an interesting echo effect. The blank areas of the clouds and mist help to highlight the mountains even more.

2. River Boats and Mountain Town

The painting depicts a town with a mountainside temple and countryside shops, surrounded by two peaks. The temple buildings are on a level outcropping and constructed up the slope. The valley below is filled with clouds and mists, and birds are flying about. This conveys the sense of a scene at dusk.

3. The Buddha Preaching the Law

The painting depicts the Buddha seated on a lotus pedestal, with two heavenly kings as protectors of the Buddhist law. On either side of the Buddha are the great disciples Ananda and Mahakashyapa, and a bodhisattva making offerings.

4. Preparing Clothes

This work, done in 1240, is based on "Poetry on Preparing Clothes" by Xie Huilian (397-433) of the Southern Dynasties period. It depicts 32 women preparing for winter by making clothes for their husbands at the battlefront.

5. The Ladies' Book of Filial Piety (Scroll 1)

The Ladies' Book of Filial Piety was written by Madame Zheng during the Tang dynasty. It deals with propriety, piety, and rules of behavior for women. Originally eighteen sections, only half the handscroll remains today.

6. Literary Gathering

This painting depicts a group of high schoolers in a garden by a pond enjoying a banquet. The figures are all spirited and elegant with clear expressions, while the objects and garden motifs are painstakingly rendered.

7. Scroll of Buddhist Images

This is the only surviving painting from the Dali kingdom, which was located in what is now Yunnan. The painting is from the Song dynasty and is divided into four sections. The first section shows Duan Zhixing, the emperor during the Lizhen reign, making offerings to the Buddha.

8. Plants and Insects in Autumn

Li Di was a court artist during the Northern and Southern Song periods. He was especially skilled in painting birds, flowers, insects, and grasses. This work depicts a praying mantis raising its forelimbs in an attempt to catch a beetle that has just flown away.

9. Reading in an Open Hall

This painting shows a courtyard by a lake, surrounded by hills and tall pines. Inside the pavilion, a scholar is seated on a daybed, holding a feather fan and leaning on an armrest.

10. Strange Peaks and Myriad Trees