A Tatar Horseman Coursing a Hare
17th century
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1911.480
Tags
About this artwork
This small album leaf depicts, judging by its subject's costume, a non-Chinese hunter and his dog who have successfully brought down a hare. While the stylistic origin of the "trembling" brush line zhanbi, employed to depict the contours of the hunter's costume, can be traced to the Five Dynasties period (907-960), this small work is a much later reinterpretation of the style. Created by rhythmically altering pressure on the brush tip to produce lines of varying thickness, zhanbi is often used t...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...