Palace ladies in a hall of green columns play string instruments, while two on the right dance with blue sleeves

Spring Dawn in the Han Palace (detail: the music)

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What you see

A wide hall opens between dark green columns like a stage. At the center, a seated lady plays the pipa; beside her are a zither on a red stand and another lady holding a long-necked instrument. On the left, two ladies hold a second zither by a table; on the right, two dance, swinging their blue sleeves. Below, a lone lady crosses the terrace.

The gold ground mixes with bright reds, blues and whites. The figures, with pale faces and tall hairstyles, are drawn in fine, sure lines. Keep an eye out for the white cat asleep on a red cushion at the top center and the two ornamental rocks on their stands in the foreground.

About Qiu Ying

Qiu Ying was born around 1494 into a peasant family in Taicang and began in Suzhou as an artisan decorating lacquerware before becoming a professional painter. His meticulous, elegant brushwork and his gift for copying Song and Yuan paintings won him the favour of wealthy collectors such as Xiang Yuanbian. He is counted today among the Four Masters of the Ming dynasty, and his daughter Qiu Zhu also became a painter.

All 12 works by Qiu Ying

More by Qiu Ying

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