Main content
Art of Asia
Course: Art of Asia > Unit 2
Lesson 13: Song dynasty (960–1279)- Song dynasty (960–1279), an introduction
- The art of salvation—Mt. Baoding, Dazu rock carvings
- An Introduction to the Song dynasty (960–1279)
- Master of the (Fishing) Nets Garden
- Gu Kaizhi, Nymph of the Luo River
- Chinese landscape painting
- Mountings: hanging scrolls, handscrolls, fans and the album leaf
- Neo-Confucianism & Fan Kuan, Travelers by Streams and Mountains
- Emperor Huizong, Auspicious Cranes, handscroll
- Attributed to Zhang Zeduan, Along the River during Qingming Festival, handscroll
- Liang Kai, Poet Strolling by a Marshy Bank
- Liang Kai (attributed), White Egret
- Ding ware bowl, Northern Song dynasty
- Ceramic pillow
- Guan ware long-necked vase
- Bowl with “oil spot” glaze
- Bowl with brown mottling
- Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Chinese: Guanyin)
- Arhat (Chinese: luohan)
- “Bodhisattva of Compassion Seated in Royal Ease”
© 2023 Khan AcademyTerms of usePrivacy PolicyCookie Notice
Gu Kaizhi, Nymph of the Luo River
by Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art
This handscroll illustrates a long poem written in 222 C.E. by the poet and prince (192–232). The poem describes the prince’s imaginary romantic encounter with the nymph, or goddess, of the Luo River in central China. They fall in love but eventually part with one another. The prince and the goddess are repeatedly depicted in different sections of the painting, recognizable by the same headdress and hair style. Each section tells a portion of the story. The painting was done in light colors. The figures, trees, clouds, and mountains were first defined with outlines and then filled in with color washes. The figures are beautifully drawn. Their garments, especially the ribbons, were painted so lightly and flowing that one can almost feel the breeze. The landscape, including the trees, clouds, and mountains, seems simplified. The landscape features appear disproportionately smaller than the figures and seem to serve as mere stage sets for various plots.
Only about half of the work’s original length survived, but it is still an important Southern Song (1127–1279) copy of an early composition. We can recognize from the painting the emergence of Chinese landscape tradition. Streams were drawn with care and delicacy. Most importantly, simplistic as they may seem, each landscape element works together to form a coherent physical environment. Beyond the individual artistic elements, the painting is a perfect example of Chinese narrative illustration. Different sections of a story appear in a single composition. The same characters reappear several times throughout the painting. Handscroll is the perfect format for such illustration. Read from right to left, each section that is unrolled reveals another part of the story.
The scroll’s first is by the great Ming scholar and official Dong Qichang (1555–1636), who admires and authenticates the painting. It also includes colophons and collector seals from other important scholars and connoisseurs from different times. From these records, we can tell a wonderful story about the painting’s life.
This resource was developed for Teaching China with the Smithsonian, made possible by the generous support of the Freeman Foundation
For the classroom
Discussion questions:
- What are the visual clues that indicate this story is a myth?
- What is the advantage of telling a story in the format of a handscroll versus a bound book?
- Can you recall any other myths of a failed romance between a human and a god or goddess?
Additional resources: