Summer Palace of Emperor Ming Huang

The emperor Ming Huang mentioned in the title of this painting refers to the emperor Xuanzong. Xuanzong built a summer palace where he was able to escape the summer heat, and there he lived and conducted state business. This painting depicts gorgeous palace buildings and the surrounding expanse of nature’s glories. The signature in the lower right indicates that Guo Zhongshu of the early Northern Song dynasty painted the work. Guo is renowned for his detailed and precise depictions of architecture in which the use of rulers and measuring devices can be seen. He was also considered adept at rendition of trees, rocks and landscape elements. The fine details of the original have been here somewhat corrupted in the copying process, and judging from the types of mountain-side texture strokes seen in the distant peaks, this work is thought to date from the Yuan dynasty.