Artwork
南宋/元 佚名 六馬圖 卷|Six Horses
南宋/元 佚名 六馬圖 卷|Six Horses is an ink painting. It dates from 1299 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This handscroll, titled Six Horses, is an anonymous work from 1299, created during the Southern Song or Yuan dynasty.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1299, this Chinese handscroll presents a genre scene featuring six horses accompanied by human figures.
Created in 1299, this Chinese handscroll presents a genre scene featuring six horses accompanied by human figures. The iconography is straightforward, focusing on the realistic depiction of these animals and their handlers without explicit reference to mythological or religious narratives in the available records. The work functions primarily as a representation of daily life or animal study, characteristic of the genre painting tradition where the subject matter is the observed world rather than an allegorical message.
The presence of both men and horses suggests a focus on the relationship between humans and these animals, possibly within a context of travel, husbandry, or leisure, though specific symbolic meanings beyond this literal depiction are not detailed in the source material.
Technique & Style
The handscroll titled Six Horses is executed in ink with subtle color washes on paper, a format typical of Chinese painting of the late thirteenth century. Produced in China around 1299, the work was later acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view.
Visually, the composition unfolds across the scroll’s length, presenting six horses in successive, rhythmically arranged poses that convey motion through vigorous brushstrokes and balanced negative space. The stylistic handling reflects the Southern Song‑Yuan aesthetic, combining delicate line work with restrained palette to emphasize the animals’ muscular vigor and the painter’s adept control of ink.
Overview
This handscroll, titled Six Horses, is an anonymous work from 1299, created during the Southern Song or Yuan dynasty. Executed with ink and color on paper, this painting presents a genre scene. It features a procession of six distinct horses accompanied by two attendants.
The artwork is designed to be viewed sequentially as the scroll is unrolled, revealing each animal and figure in turn.
History & Provenance
Created by an unidentified artist in 1299, this painting dates to a transitional period between the Southern Song and Yuan dynasties in China. The lack of a specific artist's name is common for many works from this era, yet it does not diminish the artwork's historical or artistic significance. The handscroll Six Horses is currently part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Artist & collection
