Background

The painting "Spring Outing", which has been kept in the Liaoning Provincial Museum, was painted by Zhao Ji, an emperor of the Song Dynasty who imitated the works by Zhang Xuan of the Tang Dynasty. Through the treasure painting, which has been handed down from ancient times, one can see Zhao's contribution to and his exquisite workmanship in learning from predecessors and imitating well-known painting.

The painting "Spring Outing"reflected the hunting by a rich lady, the wife of Guo Guo, a sister of the highest-ranking imperial concubine Yang Yuhuan in the Tang Dynasty, during a beautiful spring season. The whole painting did not have any scene to serve as a contrast, and it displayed the grand occasion of talking and laughing of the charming spring. People, especially their facial expression, in the painting were described so graceful and in detail that everyone had the makings of beauty, charming, sedateness, delicacy with plump figure, and had a dignified bearing. The horses that carried the people in the painting were healthy and strong, and in harmony with the atmosphere. The painting showed the peculiarity in composition, modeling, color and line, and reproduced, the luxurious court life. the painting was a true record of the social life in those days.

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