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A Tatar huntsman on his horse

Formerly attributed to Zhao Mengfu 趙孟頫 (1254-1322)

While the huntsman's face and the horse are depicted in profile, the man's body is in three-quarter view. This presents a certain incoherence in the compositional relationship between the horse and its rider. Details of the hunter's headgear and costume, as well as the sword, bow, arrows, and quiver, are nevertheless finely depicted. A rabbit hung from the saddle indicates that the rider is returning from a hunting trip. The subtle ink brushwork employed for the landscape backdrop balances well with the colorful and eye-catching horse and rider.

Date

15th century

Type

Painting

Medium

Ink and color on silk

Department

NMAA

Institution

National Museum of Asian Art

Object number

fsg_F1911.266

Credit

Gift of Charles Lang Freer