HAN MEILING 韩美林 - HORSE 马

Han Meilin (b. 1936)
Horse - 馬
Ink and colour on paper
Dated bingzi, inscribed and signed by the artist, with three artist's seals, one reading Han Meilin yin, and two of pictorial form.
Unmounted
Measures approx. 137cm x 68cm.

韓美林（生於1936年） 馬 設色紙本 一九九六年作
款識：丙子年冬月大吉之夜，海右人美林寫。
鈐印：韓美林印、肖形印兩枚

The horse has been an independent genre of Chinese painting since the Tang dynasty (608-917). Han Meilin's bold and playful interpretation of the genre is imbued with the vigorous spirit of the ancient rock painting found in Helan Mountain, Yinchuan, Ningxia. This artistic repertoire has inspired the artist since his first visit in the 1980s. The contour of the horse's robust torso is accentuated by thick ink lines, while the flying-white brushstrokes capture its galloping speed. Like his other animal paintings, the horse painting seeks to visualize the essence of its subject using simple forms and a minimal color palette. However, in this particular piece, saturated red pigment and shimmering gold are used to highlight the horse's neck, saddle and the mud on the ground, further enhancing the energy and dynamism of the painting.