Artwork
元 趙孟頫 趙雍 趙麟 吳興趙氏三世人馬圖 卷|Grooms and horses
元 趙孟頫 趙雍 趙麟 吳興趙氏三世人馬圖 卷|Grooms and horses is an ink painting by the Song dynasty painting artist Zhao Mengfu. It dates from 1296 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
You see three men in long robes standing beside three horses, one black, one white, one brown.
You see three men in long robes standing beside three horses, one black, one white, one brown.
This scroll was painted over sixty years by three generations of the same family. The first artist started it in 1296; his son and grandson finished it by 1359. Each man added his own touch, but the style stays smooth and steady, like a family recipe.
To see how Chinese artists made ink glow on paper, look up cross-hatching.
Subject & Meaning
The handscroll portrays a single figure identified as a groom standing beside a horse, the composition emphasizing the relationship between man and mount. In Chinese painting of the Yuan period, such pairings often alluded to status, mobility, or the duties of a household retainer, and the work’s title “Grooms and horses” underscores this focus on attendant service. The figure is rendered in ink and color on paper, a format typical of elite narrative scrolls, and the depiction of the horse alongside its handler suggests an interest in realistic characterization rather than symbolic allegory.
Technique & Style
The work is presented as a handscroll, a format that requires sequential unfolding to view the entire composition. It is painted with ink and polychrome pigments on paper, the standard material support for narrative paintings of the Yuan dynasty. This sequential viewing supports the genre_scene classification, allowing a continuous narrative progression.
The scroll’s height is recorded at 30.2 cm, and its creation is dated to 1327 in China, placing it within the historical context of the late Yuan period.
History & Provenance
The handscroll was painted by Zhao Mengfu in 1327 in China, portraying a groom alongside his horse in ink and color on paper.
It subsequently entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is recorded as part of the museum's holdings.
The work is dated to 1327, measures 30.2 cm in height, and is classified as a genre‑scene handscroll.
Overview
This handscroll, titled Grooms and Horses, is a collaborative painting created by three generations of the Zhao family during the Yuan dynasty. It depicts a genre scene featuring three men attending to three distinct horses. Executed in ink and color on paper, the work spans a significant period, beginning in 1296 with Zhao Mengfu and concluding by 1359 with contributions from his son and grandson. This extended creation process makes it a unique example of familial artistic continuity.
Artist & collection
Artist
Zhao Mengfu (Chinese: 趙孟頫; pinyin: Zhào Mèngfǔ; Wade–Giles: Chao Meng-fu; courtesy name Zi'ang (子昂); pseudonyms Songxue (松雪, "Pine Snow"), Oubo (鷗波, "Gull Waves"), and Shuijing-gong Dao-ren (水精宮道人, "Master of the Water…
