Painting in National Palace Museum, Yuan dynasty part1

Welcome to the National Palace Museum's collection of paintings from the Yuan dynasty! These works of art are some of the most important pieces in Chinese history, and they tell us a lot about the culture and people of this period. You will find Manual of Ink Bamboo by Wu Zhen, Meeting Friends in a Pavilion among Pines by Wang Yuan, Cloud-girdled Peaks by Gao Kegong, Pair of Lohan Paintings, Riverside Pavilion and Mountain Hues by Ni Zan, Inscribing a Portrait of Ni Zan, Wild Duck by a River by Chen Lin, Nymph of the Luo River by Wei Jiuding, Five Horses by Zhao Yong and Autumn Colors on the Qiao and Hua Mountains by Zhao Mengfu. Come explore these incredible artifacts today!

1. Manual of Ink Bamboo

Wu Zhen was a Chinese painter who lived in the Yuan Dynasty. He was known as Meihua ("Plum Blossom") daoren. In 1350, he painted an album of bamboo pictures for his son, Fonu.

2. Meeting Friends in a Pavilion among Pines

Wang Yuan was a painter from Qiantang, China. He learned from the master painter Zhao Mengfu.

3. Cloud-girdled Peaks

The ancestors of Gao Kegong came from Western Asia. Gao Kegong was a minister in the Yuan dynasty under the Mongols. He served in the Jiangnan area and lived in Hangzhou.

4. Pair of Lohan Paintings

Nine lohans, or Buddhist worthies, appear in the left and right scrolls, with two attendants each. This makes for a total of eighteen lohans, which is a traditional number.

5. Riverside Pavilion and Mountain Hues

Ni Zan was a very talented painter, especially when it came to landscapes and ink bamboo paintings. His calligraphy was also beautiful and amazing. He was one of the Four Yuan Masters, along with Huang Gongwang, Wu Zhen, and Wang Meng.

6. Inscribing a Portrait of Ni Zan

The painting depicts Ni Zan with brush and paper, as if about to pour out his heart. The painting uses pale colors, which reflect an important friendship in Chinese painting and the development of literati portraiture. This makes the painting significant and high quality.

7. Wild Duck by a River

Chen Lin was a famous painter from the late Song dynasty into the Yuan dynasty. This painting depicts a mallard standing on a riverbank below some hibiscus. The brushwork for depicting the duck is delicate.

8. Nymph of the Luo River

This painting by Wei Jiuding is a rare and precious work. It is done in "baimiao" fine ink lines, which are very thin and precise. The painting depicts the goddess of the Luo River riding mysteriously on clouds and gliding over ripples of misty river waters.

9. Five Horses

Zhao Yong was the second son of the famous scholar-artist Zhao Mengfu. He was especially gifted at depicting figures and saddled horses. This painting, from 1352, shows horses at leisure and a groom dozing against a pine, to create a relaxed atmosphere.

10. Autumn Colors on the Qiao and Hua Mountains