Artwork

明佚名八駿圖卷|Eight Horses

明佚名八駿圖卷|Eight Horses is an ink painting. It dates from 1639 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The handscroll titled “Eight Horses” (明, anonymous) presents a linear procession of eight equine figures rendered in ink and color on silk.

About this work

Technique & Style

Eight Horses is executed as a handscroll in ink and color on silk, a traditional East Asian format suited to sequential viewing.

Eight Horses is executed as a handscroll in ink and color on silk, a traditional East Asian format suited to sequential viewing. The work measures 27.9 cm in height by 138.7 cm in width, producing a long, narrow horizontal composition that unfolds gradually as the scroll is opened. The painting was produced in China, and its classification as a landscape genre painting featuring horses reflects the conventional Ming-period pairing of equine subjects with landscape settings.

The use of ink combined with color on a silk support is characteristic of late Ming painting practice, allowing for both fluid monochrome brushwork and tinted washes. The horizontal handscroll format would have permitted the artist to arrange the eight horses across an extended pictorial field, encouraging a rhythmic progression of figures along the silk ground.

History & Provenance

The handscroll Eight Horses is dated 1639 and is attributed to an anonymous Ming-dynasty painter. It is currently held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is catalogued as an anonymous Chinese painting of the seventeenth century. The scroll’s dimensions are 27.9 cm in height and 138.7 cm in length, consistent with the format of a Ming court-style equestrian painting.

The handscroll Eight Horses is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. According to the Wikidata record, its location is the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued within the institution's paintings holdings.

No accession number, specific gallery, or detailed exhibition history is provided in the available sources.

Overview

The handscroll titled “Eight Horses” (明, anonymous) presents a linear procession of eight equine figures rendered in ink and color on silk. The composition is concise, with the animals occupying the central visual field against an unadorned backdrop, emphasizing their forms and movement.

Subject & Meaning

Each horse is depicted in a distinct stance, some captured mid‑gallop, others standing still, suggesting a narrative of varied activity within a single scene. The arrangement may reflect themes of vitality, travel, or the status of horses in Ming‑period society, though no accompanying inscription clarifies a specific story.

Context

Equine imagery was a frequent motif in imperial Chinese art, symbolizing power, speed, and the prestige of the ruling class. The “Eight Horses” aligns with this tradition, offering a visual catalog of horse types and postures that would have been familiar to contemporary viewers of courtly or aristocratic circles.