Imperial Commissioned Re-drawing of Xiao Yuncong's Complete Map of the "Li Sao" (One Box, Three Volumes)

Author: [Qing] Xiao Yuncong
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-12-01
Features: Many ancient painters, such as Li Gonglin, Zhao Mengfu, Chen Hongshou, and Wen Zhengming, have depicted stories from The Songs of Chu in painting form. However, the late Ming and early Qing painter Xiao Yuncong made the first attempt to illustrate the stories from Nine Songs, Consulting the Oracle, and Heavenly Questions, calling it Lisao Illustrations. When Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty compiled The Complete Library of the Four Treasuries, he found this edition lacking and ordered the contemporary painter Men Yingzhao to supplement the remaining chapters. The combined work, featuring Xiao Yuncong's sixty-four illustrations and Men Yingzhao's additional ninety-one, totals one hundred fifty-five images, titled Imperially Commissioned Supplements to Xiao Yuncong's Complete Lisao Illustrations and included in The Complete Library of the Four Treasuries. This work is truly a complete illustrated edition of The Songs of Chu. Based on a facsimile reproduction of the original, the plates are clear and crisp, making it a rare and valuable treasure for researchers of The Songs of Chu, art workers, and collectors.