The long course of Chinese art history has seen many artists use horses as subjects of their works. With fine brushwork, they highlighted the vigor of the animals by portraying the horse's role in rural customs, hunting, and recreation.
Feeding the Horse, a vivid work by an anonymous Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) painter, celebrates the horse's robust profile, while evoking a mood of solitude and meditation. The painting has been in the collection of the National Art Museum of China in Beijing and is now a highlight of the museum's ongoing exhibition for the Year of the Horse, Galloping Through the Clouds. Running until March 8, it brings together horse-inspired works by artists from a multitude of eras.
