During the early Yuan dynasty, Qian Xuan returned to an old theme by painting an episode from what may be the most famous tragic love story in Chinese history. In Yang Guifei Mounting a Horse, Qian Xuan portrayed a rather commonplace event of palace daily life---preparation for an imperial expedition. This tableau, however, recalled well-known historical events of circa 745. At that time, Emperor Ming Huang fell in love with Yang Guifei, the most famous femme fatale of the Tang dynasty. Their archetypal story of love and loss inspired poets, playwrights, and painters throughout Chinese history.; Qian Xuan significantly changed the way the story was portrayed in his figure paintings and bird and flower compositions. This dissertation considers how and why Qian Xuan reconceived the story visually and reinterpreted the narrative in creative and innovative ways. This study examines Qian Xuan's art in terms of his historical, artistic, and cultural context. Qian Xuan both acknowledged painted precedents, including "Emperor Ming Huang's Journey to Shu" and "Emperor Ming Huang and Yang Guifei's Amusements," and rejected the imagery, style, and decorative nuances of his own time. Qian Xuan favored a classical, purified pictorial language inspired by antique modes of picture-making, and dense, highly-allusive poetic inscriptions. This study also considers literary traditions, including poetry, prose, and drama, that bear on Qian Xuan's art.; Qian Xuan transformed a popular, romantic story into powerful, iconic images of tragedy and enduring beauty. In exploring how it was portrayed by Qian Xuan and the artists who preceded him, this dissertation hopes to offer a new look at an old Chinese love story.
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