Sleeping Dog

Jin Tingbiao was a court artist during the Qing dynasty who specialized in painting figures, landscapes, and flowers. The Qianlong emperor much appreciated his skill in painting. This is a work in monochrome ink of a sleeping dog curled into a ball and fast asleep in an extremely adorable pose. Using varied shades of light and dark ink, the artist has accurately depicted the appearance of the ears, chin, and tail of this sleeping dog. Even the delicate details of the fur are clearly seen. Despite the small size of the painting, it nonetheless fully conveys the marvelous skills of the artist. The Qianlong emperor even strongly praised it in his inscriptions written at the top of the work, claiming the depiction is even more beautiful than the renderings of the famous Song dynasty painter Li Di active in the twelfth century.