Gu Hongzhong (; 937–975) was a Chinese painter during the

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (), from 907 to 979, was an era of political upheaval and division in 10th-century Imperial China. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen concu ...

period of Chinese history. Gu was active until 960 CE''The Private Realm of the Literati.''
University of Washington: A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization. Retrieved 27 August 2012. and was most likely a

court painter A court painter was an artist who painted for the members of a royal or princely family, sometimes on a fixed salary and on an exclusive basis where the artist was not supposed to undertake other work. Painters were the most common, but the cour ...

of the

Southern Tang dynasty Southern Tang () was a state in Southern China that existed during Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, which proclaimed itself to be the successor of the former Tang dynasty. The capital was located at Nanjing in present-day Jiangsu Province. ...

during the reign of Li Yu. His most well-known work is the '' Night Revels of Han Xizai''. Gu's original no longer exists, but the painting survives as a 12th-century remake during the subsequent

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

. The painting is housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing.

''Night Revels of Han Xizai''

The ''Night Revels of Han Xizai'' is a painted scroll depicting

Han Xizai Han Xizai () (902 – August 31, 970''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms''vol. 28Acade ...

, a minister of Li Yu. This

narrative A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether nonfictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travelogue, etc.) or fictional ( fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller, novel, etc. ...

painting is split into five distinct sections: Han Xizai listens to the pipa, watches dancers, takes a rest, plays string instruments, and then sees guests off. Gu Hongzhong was supposedly sent to pry on Han Xizai's private life per emperor Li Yu's request. One theory is that Li Yu wanted to know why Han refused his offer to make him the

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

.''Han Xizai at Night Dinner Painting Depicts Extravagant Life.''
China Culture, Ministry of Culture, China. Retrieved 27 August 2012. Another is that Han Xizai repeatedly missed early-morning audiences with the emperor because of his revelry, fondness of drinking and banquets with friends, and needed to be shamed into dignified behavior. The work was not only a painting about personal life, but also represented many features from that period. Using careful observation, all of the details of the ''Night Revels'' were thoroughly exposed and peoples' expressions were vivid and true-to-life. In the picture, there are more than 40 figures—all lifelike and with different expressions. The painting represented the lifestyle of the ruling class of that time indirectly. The painter's surprising observation of Han Xizai makes the painting thought-provoking.

Art inspired by ''Night Revels of Han Xizai''

In 2000, artist Wang Qingsong created ''The Night Revels of Lao Li'' based on ''The Night Revels of Han Xizai''. Instead of a painting like the original, it is a photograph. The artwork uses contemporary costume and references to comment on current Chinese culture.''Night Revels of Lao Li.''
Wang Qingsong. Retrieved 27 August 2012.

''Night Revels of Han Xizai''

Art inspired by ''Night Revels of Han Xizai''

See also

References

Further reading