Hong Kong Palace Museum | Heavenly Horses: Masterpieces from the Palace Museum

4000. Exhibition introduction

The horse, associated with resilience, vigour, loyalty, and nobility, has long been a favourite subject of Chinese painters. By the Tang dynasty, horse painting was a distinct genre. The introduction of European knowledge and techniques—particularly anatomy and perspective—in the late Ming to early Qing dynasties propelled the art of horse painting to an unprecedented height. The genre underwent a notable revival from the late Qing to the modern era, thanks to a further blending of traditional Chinese painting techniques with European and other styles.

This exhibition celebrates the Year of the Horse in 2026 by examining and showcasing the achievements of Chinese horse painting from multiple perspectives: courtly and literati, classical and modern, Chinese and European. Divided into four thematic sections, the exhibition features nearly 100 masterpieces by more than 60 renowned artists from the Yuan dynasty to the 20th century. The majority of the works on display are drawn from the collection of the Palace Museum. The exhibition is enriched by loans from the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. These exceptional works offer insight into the genre’s distinctive artistic expression and cultural resonance. The exhibition is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Palace Museum and the Palace Museum, and exclusively sponsored by the Institute of Philanthropy.

4001. The Qianlong Emperor holding an arrow

This painting belongs to an aristocratic hunting series produced collaboratively by the European missionary Giuseppe Castiglione and Chinese court painters. The series was commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor. In it, the emperor and his imperial steeds are portrayed with striking realism. The use of natural light and shadow showcases Castiglione’s mastery of realist techniques. By contrast, the mountains, rocks, and trees in the background have an ancient and profound presence. They were painted, presumably by Chinese court painters, using traditional ink brushwork. This series of joint paintings by Chinese and European painters that portray the Qianlong Emperor’s majestic presence during a hunt reflect the fusion of artistic traditions and are a testament to the cultural exchange between Qing China and Europe. Castiglione, a Qing court painter active in the 18th century, earned the favour of three emperors: Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong. During his nearly fifty years of service, he produced a vast body of horse paintings.

4002. Departure of Wang Zhaojun to the frontier

Horses were present in much frontier-themed literature in ancient China, in tales told against the backdrop of ancient warfare and marriage alliances. Classical literary works include stories about Wang Zhaojun of the Western Han dynasty, over 2,000 years ago, who willingly left her homeland on horseback to marry beyond its borders to help quell conflict; and later during the Eastern Han dynasty, Cai Wenji of the Eastern Han dynasty, who spent twelve years on the northern frontier before finally riding back home. When you look at the painting, note particularly the expressions and movements of the horses: gentle steeds stay by their riders, accompanying them on their journeys or quietly waiting at their side. The portrayal of the horses reveals the emotions and circumstances of the people, as well as evoking the intertwined beauty of Chinese poetry and painting. The frontier-themed literary classics have been reinterpreted by painters across different dynasties, resulting in artworks that resonate across time, showcasing the enduring vitality and rich heritage of Chinese culture.

4003. Landscape

Many traditional landscape paintings depict the harmonious integration of literati, horses, and nature. When horses appear in these paintings, their forms shift in tandem with the inner moods of the depicted scholars: some horses are vigorous and spirited; others are gaunt and despondent. The horses in paintings may be seen as reflections of the literati’s inner world, whether triumphant or melancholic, and the horses are thus each imbued with a distinct personality. Horses and literati have always been inextricably linked. For thousands of years, beyond being excellent companions for scholarly excursions into nature, horses have projected the emotions and ambitions of the people with them. The literati often described themselves as “outstanding horses”, a metaphor conveying their deep desire to be recognised and appreciated by patrons.

4004. Riding through cloudy mountains

This work by Ren Yi, a painter from the 19th century during the late Qing dynasty, captures a vibrant slice of everyday life in a fresh and elegant style. The composition breaks away from traditional framing, using instead a close-up view to accentuate the subject. This creates a vivid and innovative visual effect. Ren Yi depicted the form and outline of the horse using the techniques of Chinese freehand brushwork painting and rendered the colour of the horse in a simple yet textured manner. He also drew on European sketching techniques, notions of perspective, and other painting methods to create a structured and layered representation of the horse. During the late Qing period in the 19th century, a group of artists settled in the Shanghai area, where they drew inspiration from European and Japanese painting styles and experimented with elements of folk art. This group of artists came to be known as the “Shanghai School”, with Ren Yi as one of the leading figures. Their works appealed to both refined and popular tastes.