Artwork
南宋 傳陳居中 胡騎春獵圖 團扇|Nomads hunting with falcons
南宋 傳陳居中 胡騎春獵圖 團扇|Nomads hunting with falcons is an ink painting by the Song dynasty painting artist Chen Juzhong. It dates from 1216 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays a nomadic hunter on horseback accompanied by a falcon, engaged in a spring hunting expedition.
The painting portrays a nomadic hunter on horseback accompanied by a falcon, engaged in a spring hunting expedition. The composition includes a man, a horse, a falcon and the activity of hunting, highlighting the importance of mounted falconry and seasonal hunts among Southern Song elites. By depicting these elements together, the work reflects contemporary aristocratic pastimes that combined martial skill with controlled sport, underscoring the cultural value placed on such pursuits.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in ink and color on silk, originally formatted as a round fan and subsequently remounted as an album leaf. This mounting reconfiguration is consistent with the small, intimate scale recorded for the work, measuring approximately 24.1 cm in height by 27.3 cm in width. The silk support would have required a controlled, absorbent ground that shaped the handling of both linear ink contours and layered color washes used to render the figures, horses, and falcons.
The combination of fine brushwork for descriptive detail and broader tonal washes for the bodies of horses and riders reflects the technical conventions of Southern Song figure-and-animal painting. No specific condition report is documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
The work, identified as a Southern Song dynasty fan mounted as an album leaf, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The museum's records attribute the piece to the artist Chen Juzhong and date its creation to 1216. While the specific inventory or accession number is not provided in the available records, the object is cataloged within the institution's paintings division.
Physical dimensions are recorded as 24.1 cm in height and 27.3 cm in width. The provided sources do not contain information regarding a specific exhibition history or past display locations for this artwork.
Overview
This small circular painting, titled Nomads hunting with falcons, is attributed to Chen Juzhong and dates to 1216 during the Southern Song Dynasty. Rendered in ink and color on silk, it was originally a fan that has since been mounted as an album leaf. The work captures a dynamic scene of equestrian activity.
Context
Originally conceived as a functional fan, this painting was intended for the private enjoyment of a wealthy patron. Such intimate works were designed to be held and closely examined, offering a personal aesthetic experience rather than serving as public display pieces. Its format as an album leaf further suggests its role within a curated collection of small-scale artworks.
Artist & collection
