Five Bulls Picture

Author: Su Xiaosong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-07-01
Features: This is a fine piece among the classic paintings of Chinese history, each displaying unique styles and remarkable brushwork. The artists of these Chinese painting masterpieces, with their unique artistic talent and exquisite painting skills, achieve a perfect unity of the two major elements of traditional Chinese painting—brushwork and color. They vividly convey the spiritual essence of the depicted subjects with their distinctive brushstrokes, reaching a highly mature artistic realm that makes their works lifelike and enduring through the ages. This Five Oxen Painting is one of the grandly launched "Series of Appreciating Chinese Classical Painting Techniques" by Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House. This series compiles fine pieces from the classic paintings of Chinese history, introducing the painting techniques and artistic characteristics of these ancient masterpieces from an appreciative perspective. The Five Oxen Painting, hailed as "rare world-class brushwork" by Yuan Dynasty painter Zhao Mengfu, is one of the representative works of Han Huang, a renowned Tang Dynasty painter of cattle. The painting is a paper-based, colored scroll, depicting five oxen independently, each in a different posture: some walking slowly, some eating grass, some standing and mooing, some looking back and licking their tongues, and some raising their heads and galloping. From various angles, it vividly portrays the life forms and habits of cattle, with lifelike and true-to-life depictions. In style, it is characterized by its robust and simple elegance, marking a significant advancement in the level of Tang Dynasty painting techniques. The artist's superb painting skills make the five oxen in the painting lifelike, forming a unique artistic style. It is a valuable Chinese ancient painting masterpiece worth collecting and appreciating for its painting techniques.
Han Huang (723–787) was a Tang Dynasty painter and calligrapher. His style name was Taichong, and he was from Chang'an (now Xi'an, Shaanxi). He was the son of Han Xi, and served as the prime minister of Emperor Li Shidao of the Tang Dynasty through hereditary privilege. In the early Zhenyuan period, he was enfeoffed as the Duke of Jin. He participated in suppressing rebellions by regional warlords. He had a strong fondness for painting and calligraphy, excelling in cursive script and mastering the brushwork of Zhang Xu. He learned from the distant master Lu Tanwei, specializing in painting figures and rural-style landscapes. His depictions of animals like cattle, sheep, and donkeys were full of life, especially his paintings of cattle, which were "masterfully rendered in every detail." In the Southern Song Dynasty, Lu You saw his works and said, "Whenever I see village children herding cattle in the wind, forest, and smoke, I feel as if I am in the painting myself, and I long to resign from office and return to my hometown." His surviving works include 36 pieces such as The Meeting of Li Delu with Guests, Yao People Striking the Earth, and The Customs of the Peasants. They are recorded in the Xuanhe Painting Catalogue. His most famous work is the Five Oxen Painting, a scroll. It is on white hemp paper, colored, with a height of 20.8 cm and a width of 139.8 cm. The brushwork is vigorous, and the forms are distinct, vividly depicting "the walkers, the grass-eaters, the ones standing and mooing, the ones looking back and licking, and the ones raising their heads and galloping." Overall, the brushwork is relatively concise, rough yet accurate, with a natural and realistic color scheme. Especially the poses of the cattle are lifelike and vivid, embodying a robust and simple style. From the choice of subject to the portrayal, everything is perfectly executed. Originally owned by Zhao Mengfu of the Yuan Dynasty, it is now preserved in the Palace Museum in Beijing.