Spring Dawn in the Han Palace (detail)

Qiu Ying (ca. 1494 - 1552, style name Shifu, sobriquet Shizhou), was one of the Four Great Masters of the Ming dynasty. This work represents various activities in a Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) palace on a spring morning. Among them is the famous story of Mao Yen-shou painting the portrait of Wang Chao-chun. The intricate composition is rendered with crisp and strong brushwork and beautiful colors. The lavish palace scenes are punctuated by trees and decorative rocks, creating marvelous scenery similar to that of immortal realms. In addition to the groups of beauties, leisure activities of the literati, such as the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting as well as appreciating antiquities and planting flowers are depicted, making it a masterpiece among Qiu Ying’s historical narrative paintings.