Gu Hongzhong
Encyclopedia
Gu Hongzhong (937–975) was a Chinese
painter during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of Chinese history.
Little is known about Gu Hongzhong's life. He was most likely a court painter
for the Southern Tang
Emperor Li Yu
. Gu was active from 943 to 960 C.E. His most well-known work is the Night Revels of Han Xizai (韩熙载夜宴图). Gu's original no longer exist, the painting is survived in a 12th century remake (see below) of the subsequent Song Dynasty
(960–1279); the painting is housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing.
painting is split into five distinct sections: Han Xizai listens to the pipa
, watches dancers, takes a rest, plays string instruments, and then sees guests off. As with other scrolls, Gu's work is meant to be viewed right-to-left. The painting is approximately 333.5 centimetres (131.3 in) long and 28.7 centimetres (11.3 in) tall.
Gu Hongzhong was supposedly sent to pry on Han Xizai's private life per Li Yu's request. There are several versions of the story. According to one version, Han Xizai had refused Li Yu's offer to make him the prime minister
. Curious, Li Yu wanted to know what was more desirable to Han Xizai than such a high position in his court. In another version, Han Xizai repeatedly missed early-morning audiences with the emperor because of his revelry, fondness of drinking and banquets with friends, and needed to be shamed into dignified behavior.
In 2008, artist Vincent J.F. Huang recreated the same storyline but his work depicts penguins, and the endangered penguins symbolize civilization threatened by environmental damages.
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
painter during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of Chinese history.
Little is known about Gu Hongzhong's life. He was most likely a court painter
Court painter
A court painter was an artist who painted for the members of a royal or noble family, sometimes on a fixed salary and on an exclusive basis where the artist was not supposed to undertake other work. Especially in the late Middle Ages, they were often given the office of valet de chambre...
for the Southern Tang
Southern Tang
Southern Tang was one of the Ten Kingdoms in south-central China created following the Tang Dynasty from 937-975. Southern Tang replaced the Wu Kingdom when Li Bian deposed the emperor Yang Pu....
Emperor Li Yu
Li Houzhu
Li Houzhu , also known as Houzhu of Southern Tang , personal name Li Yu , né Li Congjia , courtesy name Chongguang , posthumously known as Prince of Wu , was the last ruler of the Southern Tang Kingdom from 961 to 975 during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms...
. Gu was active from 943 to 960 C.E. His most well-known work is the Night Revels of Han Xizai (韩熙载夜宴图). Gu's original no longer exist, the painting is survived in a 12th century remake (see below) of the subsequent Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
(960–1279); the painting is housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing.
Night Revels of Han Xizai
The Night Revels of Han Xizai is a painted scroll depicting Han Xizai, a minister of Li Yu. This narrativeNarrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
painting is split into five distinct sections: Han Xizai listens to the pipa
Pipa
The pipa is a four-stringed Chinese musical instrument, belonging to the plucked category of instruments . Sometimes called the Chinese lute, the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets ranging from 12–26...
, watches dancers, takes a rest, plays string instruments, and then sees guests off. As with other scrolls, Gu's work is meant to be viewed right-to-left. The painting is approximately 333.5 centimetres (131.3 in) long and 28.7 centimetres (11.3 in) tall.
Gu Hongzhong was supposedly sent to pry on Han Xizai's private life per Li Yu's request. There are several versions of the story. According to one version, Han Xizai had refused Li Yu's offer to make him the prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
. Curious, Li Yu wanted to know what was more desirable to Han Xizai than such a high position in his court. In another version, Han Xizai repeatedly missed early-morning audiences with the emperor because of his revelry, fondness of drinking and banquets with friends, and needed to be shamed into dignified behavior.
Gallery
Parody of Night Revels of Han Xizai
In 2000, artist Wang Qingsong created The Night Revels of Lao Li, a parody of The Night Revels of Han Xizai. Instead of a painting like the original, it is a photograph. The parody uses modern costume and references to comment on current Chinese culture.In 2008, artist Vincent J.F. Huang recreated the same storyline but his work depicts penguins, and the endangered penguins symbolize civilization threatened by environmental damages.
General sources
- Ebrey, Patricia Buckley (1999). The Cambridge Illustrated History of China. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-66991-X (paperback).