The Picture of Five Oxen

¡¶The Picture of Five Oxen¡·was painted by well-known Tang Dynasty(618-907)painter Han Huang.Han Huang(723-787),alias Taichong,was a native of Chang' an(present-day Xi'an,Shanxi Province).He acted as co-prime minister during the reign of Tang Emperor Dezong and was noted for his paintings of figures and countryside scenes,especially those of oxen,sheep and donkeys.
Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368)painter Zhao Meng Hu thought highly of him,saying "his forthrightness of expression is seldom encountered."An ancient book of model paintings collected 36 of Han Huang's works, including "Migration of Farmers," "Harvest"and"Customs of Farmers."However,only
¡¶The Picture of Five Oxen¡·survives.It is also one of the very few Tanf Dynasty artistic works held by the Palace Museum.All of Han's other works have been lost with the passage of time.

The five oxen are in different postures.One is looking up and another is looking back.One is strolling and the other is grazing.The 5th is meditating. With free and easy but commanding and somewhat deliberate strokes,the painter delineates the powerful physique of the oxen and suggests their slow, plodding movements.The meticulous rendering of the eyes seems to bring the oxen to life. The picture is a fine example of the true spirit of the freehand brushwork used extensively in traditional Chinese painting. With its simple and sure style,sense of scale, perspecive and proportion, the picture represents the apex of traditional animal paintings of the Tang Dynasty.