Rich and poor, young and old, people universally are fond of the spring season, including the ones in ancient times.
Many Chinese ink paintings passed down by generations feature people enjoying spring outings, or depict the beautiful seasonal creatures. Here are some classic pictures to appreciate.
Painting of Lady of Guoguo on a Spring Outing
By Zhang Xuan, the Tang Dynasty (618-907)
The painting features the sister of the legendary concubine Yang Yuhuan, Lady of Guoguo enjoy riding in spring with her family and servants. As the women in the Tang Dynasty had more freedom and were very independent, they wore men's clothes and enjoyed men's sports.
Guess who's Lady of Guoguo in Zhang's painting?
Spring Outing
By Zhan Ziqian, the Sui Dynasty (581-618)
Ride or walk, people in the paintings appreciate nature in spring. Commonly believed to be created by Zhan Ziqian, the work is a representative Chinese landscape painting in the genre's early stage.
Three Friends in Spring
By Wang Shishen, the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)
Wang painted the three of the "Four Gentlemen of Chinese Flowers"- plum blossom, orchid and bamboo in spring. Being put on the steep cliff, the trio expressed the painter's praise of strong vitality.
Women on a Spring Outing
By Ding Yunpeng, the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
The painting depicts two women appreciating peach blossoms when the flowers are in full bloom. The mild hues and colors convey a delicate and elegant feminine beauty.
Full Spring (Guancheng Chunman)
By Emperor Tongzhi, the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)
Emperor Tongzhi (1856-1875), who passed away at 19, painted three plants in a spring, including a jar of plum blossom and a potted landscape.
Willow Tree and Flying Catkin
The Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)
The picture captures willow catkin to show the coming of spring.
Spring Morning
By Chen Qingbo, the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)
In mild shades, the painting features trees and mountains in spring.
Butterflies in Spring
The Song Dynasty (960-1279)
15 butterflies and one wasp in various flying gestures show the beauty of spring in the painting.
Source: China Daily
Photos: lnmuseum.com.cn, dpm.org.cn via China Daily
Editor: Lv Yun