Artwork
元 佚名 臨王振鵬 金明池圖 卷|Dragon Boat Regatta on Jinming Lake
元 佚名 臨王振鵬 金明池圖 卷|Dragon Boat Regatta on Jinming Lake is an ink painting by the Ming dynasty painting artist Wang Zhenpeng. It dates from 1334 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This handscroll, titled Dragon Boat Regatta on Jinming Lake, is an ink-on-silk painting from 1334.
About this work
Overview
It renders a lively scene of numerous small figures navigating dragon boats across a vast lake, bordered by palaces and willow trees.
This handscroll, titled Dragon Boat Regatta on Jinming Lake, is an ink-on-silk painting from 1334. It renders a lively scene of numerous small figures navigating dragon boats across a vast lake, bordered by palaces and willow trees. The work is a copy of a lost original by Wang Zhenpeng, a prominent Yuan dynasty court artist. It offers a rare visual record of imperial festivities and daily life during that period.
Subject & Meaning
The scroll vividly portrays a dragon boat regatta on Jinming Lake, a popular imperial recreation site. Hundreds of tiny figures animate the scene, engaged in the competitive sport, while grand architectural structures and lush willow trees line the shore. This depiction provides a window into the leisure activities and ceremonial grandeur associated with the Yuan dynasty imperial court, reflecting the cultural interests of the era.
Technique & Style
Executed in ink on silk, this painting demonstrates a meticulous approach to detail, characteristic of the original artist, Wang Zhenpeng, who specialized in uncolored architectural renderings. The water and trees are shaded using cross-hatching, a technique of crisscrossing lines. While retaining the careful strokes of its model, this particular rendition exhibits a slightly looser quality, almost akin to a preparatory sketch, compared to the presumed precision of the lost original.
History & Provenance
Dated to 1334, this handscroll is a faithful copy of a now-lost work by Wang Zhenpeng, an artist active in the Yuan imperial court between 1280 and 1329. Wang Zhenpeng was known for his elegant architectural paintings, a style he inherited from Li Gonglin. His original rendition of the regatta was likely created as an imperial gift, suggesting its high regard and the importance of its subject matter within court circles.
Context
The Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) saw a flourishing of artistic production, often patronized by the imperial court. This handscroll, through its detailed depiction of a dragon boat regatta, serves as one of the few surviving visual records illustrating court life and imperial leisure activities from this period. Its existence provides valuable insight into the cultural environment and artistic practices prevalent during the Yuan era in China.
Artist & collection
Artist
Wang Zhenpeng (simplified Chinese: 王振鹏; traditional Chinese: 王振鵬; pinyin: Wáng Zhènpéng; Wade–Giles: Wang Chên-p'êng); was a Chinese landscape painter who worked in the imperial court during the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368).
