Finches and Bamboo

Title (Dublin Core): Finches and Bamboo
Description (Dublin Core): Huizong was the eighth emperor of the Song dynasty and the most artistically accomplished of his imperial line. Finches and Bamboo exemplifies the realistic style of flower-and-bird painting practiced at Huizong’s academy. Whether making a study from nature or illustrating a line of poetry, however, the emperor valued capturing the spirit of a subject over literal representation. Here the minutely observed finches are imbued with the vitality of their living counterparts. Drops of lacquer added to the birds’eyes impart a final lifelike touch.
Identifier (Dublin Core): Painting, Chinese
Creator (Dublin Core): Song Huizong, Emperor of China, 1082-1135
Date (Dublin Core): Northern Song dynasty (960–1127), early 12th century
Medium (Dublin Core): handscrolls; Chinese silk; Chinese ink; color (pigment)
Subject (Dublin Core): Animals; Flowers
Type (Dublin Core): Painting
Format (Dublin Core): Image: 13 1/4 × 21 13/16 in. (33.7 × 55.4 cm); Overall with mounting: 13 3/4 in. × 27 ft. 6 5/16 in. (34.9 × 839 cm)
Language (Dublin Core): Chinese (traditional) (language)
Rights Holder (Dublin Core): Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)
Contributor (Dublin Core): John M. Crawford Jr. Collection, Purchase, Douglas Dillon Gift, 1981