T‘ANG HOU.
13th century a.d.
[Art critic and author of the Hua Lun “On Painting.” The Emperor Hui Tsung, a.d. 1100-1126, mentioned below, was an artist of considerable skill, and a liberal patron of art in general.]
AN IMPERIAL ARTIST.
THE old masters always had some deep meaning in their pictures, and never put brush to silk unless dominated by an idea. The Emperor Hui Tsung painted with his own hand a picture entitled “A Dream Journey to the Next World.” The inhabitants, several thousands in number, were about half the size of one’s little finger. All things in heaven and earth, and most beautifully executed, were to be found therein, cities with their suburbs, palaces, houses, banners, pennants, bells, drums, beautiful girls, souls of men (chên tsai), clouds, red glows, mists, the Milky Way, birds, cattle, dragons, and horses. Gazing at this picture makes one feel a longing to travel away into space and forget the world of men. Verily ’tis a marvellous work.
PICTURE COLLECTING.
In forming collections of pictures, Taoist and Buddhist subjects rank first, the reason being that the old masters put a great deal of work into them, wishing to inspire reverence, love, and a fondness for ceremonial. Next come human figures, which may be used as patterns or warnings. Then comes landscape with its inexhaustible delights, followed by flowers, and by horses, which are among divine animals. Portraits of gentlemen and ladies, and pictures of barbarians, though very clever, are scarcely adjuncts to intellectual culture. At the present day collectors of pictures mostly set a high store upon works by old masters, and despise those of modern times.
