Two Silk Paintings Depict the Dragon in Han Dynasty

The two silk paintings depict the portraits of tomb owners: one is of a woman with a flying dragon and a phoenix above her, while the other is of an esteemed man riding a giant dragon or dragon boat. The function of these silk paintings may have been to summon the spirits during the funeral or to preserve the image of the deceased. Both paintings utilize the same technique and composition: the figures are outlined with ink lines, and the main subjects are portrayed in a frontal or profile view accompanied by symbolically meaningful birds or animals. The main difference between the two works lies in their artistic proficiency. In the "Dragon and Phoenix Court Lady", the depiction of the female figure appears as a flat profile, with uneven and rough contour lines, indicating the work of an amateur. Conversely, the artist who created the "Dragon Rider" demonstrates strong control over the brush and a high level of artistic accomplishment. Not only does he successfully portray the main subject, with detailed depictions of the figures' rounded shoulders, exquisite headdresses and graceful facial expressions, but the ink lines he uses are smooth, elegant, harmonious and full of vitality, possessing a unique aesthetic value. This can be seen as an excellent example of the "highly refined loose lines" painting technique, which has been imitated and appreciated by subsequent artists and art critics.

This piece is compiled from the Chinese edition of Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting by Foreign Languages Press and Yale University Press, translated by Chen Ying.