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Painting

Object TitleMing Huang's Journey to Shu
Object Number:C137
Current Location: Collections Storage
Culture:Chinese
Provenience: China
Period: Ming Dynasty
Date Made: 14th Century - 15th Century
Early Date: 1300
Late Date: 1499
Section:Asian
Materials:Silk
Paint
Technique:Painted
Iconography:Ming Huang's Journey to Shu
Ming Huang
Horses
Human Figures
Mountain Landscape
Inscription Language:Chinese Language
Height: 203.84 cm
Width: 147.64 cm
Credit Line:Purchased from M. Knoedler & Company, 1916
Other Number:Getz 51 - Other Number

Description

This painting depicts the flight of the Tang Emperor Xuanzong (685 - 762 CE) through the mountains to Shu. The emperor, also known by his posthumous name Minghuang, fled the Tang capital Chang’an due to the rebellion by a Turkic general named An Lushan in 755 CE. Depicted here is the journey to Shu (modern Sichuan), winding through the slender, jagged mountains on foot and horseback. Although the painting is from the Ming Dynasty, the strong blue and green colors are characteristic of the earlier Tang Dynasty style. Formerly attributed to Li Zhadao 李昭道 (flourished early 8th century). Formerly in the collection of John Calvin Ferguson (1866 - 1945 CE). The painting has ten seals including ones from the Qianlong Emperor, Xiang Molin, and An Qi.

Current & Past Exhibitions:

Chinese Rotunda (1968 - 22 Feb 2017) View Objects in Exhibition
Exhibition of Oriental Art (12 Feb 1916) View Objects in Exhibition

Bibliography:

[Catalogue, Exhibition] Sung, Hou-mei. 2022. Galloping through Dynasties.. Milano. Skira. Actual Citation : Page/Fig./Plate: Frontispiece, pg. 43, pg. 104, No. 20View Objects related to this Actual Citation
[Book] Qian, Zhaoming. 1995. Orientalism and Modernism: The Legacy of China in Pound and Williams.. Durham. Duke University Press. Actual Citation : Page/Fig./Plate: Front Cover and Figure 25, pp. 117-118View Objects related to this Actual Citation
[Article] Lyons, Elizabeth. 1986. "Ming Huang's Journey to Shu: The History of a Painting". Expedition: The Magazine of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Philadelphia. The University Museum. Vol. 28. no. 3. pg. 22-28 Actual CitationView Objects related to this Actual Citation
[Article] Soper, Alexander C. 1967. "Parallels". Artibus Asiae. Dresden. Vol. 29. no. 4. Actual CitationView Objects related to this Actual Citation
[Book] Horne, Lee C. 1985. Introduction to the Collections of The University Museum.. Philadelphia. The University Museum. Actual Citation : Page/Fig./Plate: 61View Objects related to this Actual Citation
[Book] Ferguson, John C. 1927. Chinese Painting.. Chicago. University of Chicago Press. Actual Citation : Page/Fig./Plate: pg. 71View Objects related to this Actual Citation
[Catalogue] Fernald, Helen E. 1922. Handbook of Chinese Paintings in the Collection of the Museum.. Philadelphia. The University Museum. Actual Citation : Page/Fig./Plate: 57View Objects related to this Actual Citation
[Catalogue] Getz, John. 1916. The University Museum Exhibition of Oriental Art.. Philadelphia. The University Museum. Actual Citation : Page/Fig./Plate: 194 no.51View Objects related to this Actual Citation
[Catalogue] Ferguson, John C. 1916. Chinese Paintings in the University Museum Philadelphia: A Record of the signatures, seals, inscriptions, colophons and labels on the Chinese paintings collected by me for the Museum.. pg. 1-91 Actual CitationView Objects related to this Actual Citation
[Catalogue] M. Knoedler & Co. 1914. Catalogue of early Chinese paintings of the T'ang, Sung and Yuan dynasties A.D. 600-1400.. New York. Goerck Art Press. Actual Citation : Page/Fig./Plate: No. 1View Objects related to this Actual Citation

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