Galloping Through Dynasties

On the symbolic and stylistic transformations of the horse motif in Chinese painting

Published for an exhibition at the Cincinnati Art Museum, Galloping through Dynasties investigates the history of Chinese horse painting, a subject heretofore little studied. Organized chronologically, the volume explores the following themes: Celestial Horse and Imperial Horse Portraits in Early China, The Song Aesthetics and New Genres of Horse Painting, Transformation of the Horse Image in the Yuan Dynasty and The Symbolic Language of Horse Painting in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The catalog offers new insights into how the Chinese define horses through their concept of nature and how Chinese horse paintings evolved in both their stylistic and symbolic contents and formed a language to convey political and social messages.