Three Horses 三馬圖

Object Details

• Label

  The unusual size of this album leaf suggests that it might once have been part of a much larger work, perhaps a handscroll. The painter's skill in drawing the foreshortened horse seen from the back, the delicate depiction of the animals, and the subtle coloration are all undoubtedly of high artistic quality. Depicting scenes of nomadic pasturing was a special genre established by eminent painters of both the Liao (907-1125) and Jin (1115-1234) dynasties. The subject was then pursued by later Chinese painters, such as the unknown artist whose work is seen here.

  To learn more about this and similar objects, visit http://www.asia.si.edu/SongYuan/default.asp Song and Yuan Dynasty Painting and Calligraphy.

• Provenance

  To 1944

  Tonying and Company, Inc. New York to 1944

  From 1944

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Tonying and Company, Inc., New York in 1944 [1]

  Notes:

  [1] See note 1 on folder sheet. For additional information, see Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List file, Collections Management Office.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Year of the Horse: Chinese Horse Paintings (February 24 to September 2, 2002)

  Chinese Ceramics (March 15, 1982 to July 10, 1986)

  Chinese Album Leaves and Fan Paintings (September 14, 1977 to April 8, 1978)

  Chinese Art (January 1, 1963 to March 6, 1981)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Ceramics (March 7, 1957 to January 1, 1963)

  Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 14 and 15 (February 25, 1956 to March 1, 1957)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Metalwork and Painting, East Corridor (February 15, 1955 to August 26, 1955)

  Special Exhibition, Chinese Art (April 20, 1954 to November 16, 1954)

  Special Mirror Exhibition (November 16, 1954 to February 25, 1955)

  Untitled Exhibition, East Asian Ceramics and Paintings, East Corridor (January 8, 1947 to ---)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Art, 1947 (October 13, 1947 to May 26, 1953)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Tonying and Company 通運公司 (established 1902)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

  The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1400s, 1200s

• Name

  Tonying and Company

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Art, Animals, Chinese Art, Horses, Yuan dynasty (1279 - 1368)

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Paintings