Night-Shining White

A pale grey-white horse stands in a lifted stride, its head bent toward a dark post banded with black stripes, reins looped around it. Brushwork is fine and restrained, set on a tan silk ground dense with red seal impressions and columns of inscription.

Look closer: Small red seal impressions and columns of inscription fill the margins around the horse.

Artist

Han Gan

Date

ca. 750

Medium

Handscroll; ink on paper

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

2000 × 1501 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, The Dillon Fund Gift, 1977