Portrait of 'Night-Shining White', a favorite steed of Emperor Xuanzong 750

Han Gan painted this portrait of Emperor Xuanzong’s favorite horse, Night-Shining White, using ink and color on paper, sometime in the 8th century. The texture of the paper support is palpable, bearing the marks of brushstrokes and layered washes. You can see how Han Gan has used precise and delicate brushwork to capture the horse’s musculature, and the animal's alert, fiery gaze. Notice how the application of ink creates subtle tonal gradations, giving depth and volume to the horse’s form. The seals and inscriptions surrounding the image show that the artwork has been in circulation for centuries. These provide a glimpse into the painting's journey through time, reflecting the hands that held it, the collections it adorned, and the cultural values ascribed to it. In appreciating this artwork, consider not only the image itself, but also the history of its making, and the paper which bears its trace. This is not merely a painting, it is a crafted object with an intricate social history.