Horses and Grooms Crossing a River
Traditionally attributed to Zhao Mengfu è¶åé « (1254-1322)
14th century or likely much later
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchase â Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Accession Number
F1931.3
Tags
ChinaChinese ArtMing dynasty (1368 - 1644)Yuan dynasty (1279 - 1368)horseriverwater
About this artwork
Zhao Mengfu, a descendant of the Song (960-1279) royal family, was a multitalented artist who lived during the early Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) and is regarded as the leading painter and calligrapher of his time. He was skillful in a wide range of subject matter, such as landscape, figure, horse, and bird-and-flower painting. According to his own statement, Zhao learned to draw horses at a relatively young age and believed that his paintings were able to capture the true inner nature of a horse.