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1 of 253523 objects
Scenes from Taohua Shan 桃花扇 (the Peach-Blossom Fan), vol. 3 c.1700
ink and watercolour on silk, pasted on paper. | 31 x 25 cm (album) | RCIN 1197003
Jiao Bingzhen (d. c. 1726)
Master: Scenes from Taohua Shan 桃花扇 (the Peach-Blossom Fan), vol. 3 Item: Scene 21: ‘Flattering the Premier’ c.1700
Jiao Bingzhen (d. c. 1726)
Scenes from Taohua Shan 桃花扇 (the Peach-Blossom Fan), vol. 3 c.1700
Jiao Bingzhen (d. c. 1726)
Master: Scenes from Taohua Shan 桃花扇 (the Peach-Blossom Fan), vol. 3 Item: Scene 22: ‘Guarding the Chamber’ c.1700
Jiao Bingzhen (d. c. 1726)
Master: Scenes from Taohua Shan 桃花扇 (the Peach-Blossom Fan), vol. 3 Item: Scene 23: ‘Sending the Fan’ c.1700
Jiao Bingzhen (d. c. 1726)
Master: Scenes from Taohua Shan 桃花扇 (the Peach-Blossom Fan), vol. 3 Item: Scene 26: ‘Betraying the General’ c.1700
Jiao Bingzhen (d. c. 1726)
Master: Scenes from Taohua Shan 桃花扇 (the Peach-Blossom Fan), vol. 3 Item: Scene 24: ‘Abusing the Diners’ c.1700
Jiao Bingzhen (d. c. 1726)
Master: Scenes from Taohua Shan 桃花扇 (the Peach-Blossom Fan), vol. 3 Item: Scene 28: ‘Writing a poem on the picture’ c.1700
Jiao Bingzhen (d. c. 1726)
Master: Scenes from Taohua Shan 桃花扇 (the Peach-Blossom Fan), vol. 3 Item: Scene 27: ‘Meeting the Boat’ c.1700
Jiao Bingzhen (d. c. 1726)
Master: Scenes from Taohua Shan 桃花扇 (the Peach-Blossom Fan), vol. 3 Item: Scene 30: ‘Retiring to the mountains’ c.1700
Jiao Bingzhen (d. c. 1726)
Master: Scenes from Taohua Shan 桃花扇 (the Peach-Blossom Fan), vol. 3 Item: Scene 25: ‘Choosing the actresses’ c.1700
Jiao Bingzhen (d. c. 1726)
Master: Scenes from Taohua Shan 桃花扇 (the Peach-Blossom Fan), vol. 3 Item: Scene 29: ‘Arresting the Members of the Fu Association’ c.1700
Jiao Bingzhen (d. c. 1726)
Scenes from Taohua Shan 桃花扇 (the Peach-Blossom Fan), vol. 3 c.1700
Jiao Bingzhen (d. c. 1726)
Scenes from Taohua Shan 桃花扇 (the Peach-Blossom Fan), vol. 3 c.1700
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10 painting from a series depicting scenes from Taohua Shan (the Peach-Blossom Fan), a late 17th century Chinese play by Kong Shangren (1648 – 1718), acquired by Queen Mary in 1929. This is the third set of a group of 32 illustrations painted on panels of silk c.1700-20, later pasted onto thick cream paper, and bound in three volumes in concertina format between boards covered in woven silk. The last painting of the group bears a seal and inscription giving the name of the artist Jiao Bingzhen (d.c. 1726).
The Peach Blossom Fan is a historical musical drama in 44 scenes. Through the love story of its two protagonists, the young scholar Hou Fangyu and a courtesan named Li Xiangjun, the play tells the story of the politics and corruption that led to the collapse of the Ming dynasty in 1644. The play was popularly performed during dinner parties at the imperial palace during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). The paintings in the three volumes have captions pasted onto the opposite pages describing which the scene from the play they depict.
The artist Jiao Bingzhen to whom these paintings are ascribed was a painter at the court of the third Qing Emperor, Kangxi (r. 1662-1723). He is thought to be one of the earliest Chinese painters to use aerial perspective in this work.Provenance
The volumes are thought to have been acquired by Queen Mary from Spink, c. 1929. A letter from Captain Spink dated 17th December 1929 suggests they were ‘obtained by Sir George Scott in Pekin shortly after the Boxer Rebellion and that they undoubtedly came out of the Imperial Collection in the Summer Palace’ (RCIN 1197005.b).
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Creator(s)
(illustrator)Acquirer(s)
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Medium and techniques
ink and watercolour on silk, pasted on paper.
Measurements
31 x 25 cm (album)
