Makenna
Byers
11
November 2015
Professor
Bomboy
HUM
101
Non-Western Art Critique
Non-Western art is any art
objects originating from the cultures and societies outside the Western world.
Non-Western art is classified in language, abstract designs, contemporary arts,
fusion, and portraits (Ludwig). These classifications and other elements and
principles of design allow for each piece of artwork to be unique. Elements of
Chinese art are found in “Grooms and Horses” which was created in 1296 by Zhao
Mengfu. In the early Yuan period, when the ruling Mongols curtailed the employment
of Chinese scholar-officials, the theme of the groom and horse-one associated
with the legendary figure of Bole, whose ability to judge horses had become a
metaphor for the recruitment of able government officials-became a symbolic
plea for the proper use of scholarly talent. Zhao Mengfu painted this work for
the high-ranking Surveillance Commissioner Feiqing, who may have been a
government recruiter. Executed shortly after Zhao withdrew from civil service,
the sensitively rendered groom may be a self-portrait. This personal story
intrigued me because of the message being conveyed through the piece simply by
looking at it (“Zhao Mengfu | Grooms and Horses | China | Yuan Dynasty
(1271–1368).”).
“Grooms
and Horses” is a two column handscroll painted with ink and color. The artists’
inscriptions and signatures create the authenticity of the work. It depicts a
man with a horse and uses the elements of design throughout it. The lines
create the shape of the horse and the man. The lines of the man are distinct
while the lines of the horse are faded.
The colors found are mostly black in different values to enhance natural
features of different parts, but there is also a small amount of dull red in
the man’s robe. The value is dominant in the man and the end of the hair on the
horse’s mane. The texture of the piece makes it realistic this is shown in the
hair of the man’s beard and the hair on the mane of the horse. The texture that
is added to the horse’s body is a play between unrealistic and realistic,
because the horse’s body is not the lean figure that is often related with a
horse while the texture of its legs give the horse a powerful realistic image.
In my opinion texture is the prominent principle shown. This scroll has no
depth but still shows unity between the two objects. These principles of design
are critical in understanding “Grooms and Horses” as they lay the foundation
for it.
The
elements of the scroll are supplementary to the principles. There is contrast
between the man and the horse to signify a focal point of the piece. Although
both are proportional the man “catches the eye” more because of his contrast to
the horse. After looking at the man my eye was drawn to the hair of the horse
because of its contrast to the rest of its body. This proportion shows the
importance of nature in the Chinese culture. The rhythm flows from the man to
the horse. The painting is tied together by the lead the man holds. The
striking geometry of the composition, made up of a series of prominent arcs in
the figures of the horse and groom, and framed by the level ground line and
vertical inscription, appears to have been constructed with a compass and
square. The Chinese term "compass-square" (guiju) means
"regulation" or "order." Thus, the painting may also be
read as a metaphor for good government and, by extension, a measure of the
artist's moral rectitude (“Zhao Mengfu | Grooms and Horses | China | Yuan
Dynasty (1271–1368)”).
The
function of “Grooms and Horses” is to emphasize the Chinese belief in the
harmony between nature/animals and humans. The value of harmony has always been
a highly valued virtue to the Chinese.
It encompasses the fundamental principles of nature, society and
humanity. It is also a prerequisite for cultivating one’s morality, protecting
one’s family, governing one’s nation and stabilizing the world. Harmony is at
the core of Chinese traditional culture. This hanging scroll is meant to make
people reflect and it did make me reflect on the beliefs of the Chinese and the
way they expressed these beliefs through their artwork.
This
painting also invoked the reflection that even something as simple as a man and
a horse can mean so much especially to a culture. It created a peaceful mood
for me because of the organic simple details. It kept my eyes interested
because it is a simple yet intricate painting, the more I looked at it the more
details I saw throughout it. As a whole, I think the artist did a wonderful job
of expressing himself and his ideas in this work and it was very well executed.
“Grooms and Horses” by Zhao Mengfu
Works Cited
Ludwig,
Pamela Ann. "What Is Non-Western Art?" EHow. Demand Media, Web. 10
Nov. 2015.
"Zhao Mengfu |
Grooms and Horses | China | Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368)." Zhao Mengfu. Web. 8 Nov. 2015.
