Who painted One Hundred Children at Play?

One Hundred Children at Play was painted by Su Hanchen.

Where can I see One Hundred Children at Play?

One Hundred Children at Play is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is One Hundred Children at Play?

One Hundred Children at Play is associated with Song dynasty painting.

Artwork

One Hundred Children at Play

Su Hanchen

One Hundred Children at Play is an unspecified painting by the Song dynasty painting artist Su Hanchen. It is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 1961.261
Credit line: Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund

About this work

You see a busy scroll filled with kids, about fifty, not a hundred, playing games, dressing up, and mimicking grown-ups.

The painting is from China’s Southern Song dynasty, when artists loved tiny, lively scenes. Each child has its own pose and outfit, so you can spend ages spotting new details.

If you like this, look up more paintings from the subject: china, southern song dynasty (1127-1279).

Overview

One Hundred Children at Play is a painting from China's Southern Song dynasty, depicting a lively scene of numerous children at play.

Subject & Meaning

The painting shows around fifty children engaging in various activities, imitating adult dress, manners, and behaviors. The scene is set in a garden with decorative elements like rocks, shrubs, willows, and lotus ponds, a common environment for scenes of palace ladies and children during this period.

Technique & Style

The artist characterized each child with unique attire and actions, avoiding overlap to showcase every figure in detail. The composition is coherent, reflecting the artist's inventive approach to depicting the children. The style is typical of the Southern Song dynasty's preference for small, lively scenes.

Context

The painting is part of a tradition of works on the 'one hundred children' theme, which often featured a large number of children. The Southern Song dynasty, spanning from 1127 to 1279, was a period when such scenes were popular.