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Five Oxen – Han Huang
Han Huang (attr.), Five Oxen, ink and color on paper, 8th century, Chinese paintings.
Han Huang (attr.), Five Oxen, ink and color on paper, 8th century, Palace Museum, Beijing, China. Detail.
Han Huang (723–787), a chancellor of the Tang dynasty (618–907), painted his Five Oxen in different shapes from right to left. They stand in line and appear happy or depressed. We can treat each image as an independent painting. However, the oxen form a unified whole. Han Huang carefully observed the details. For example, horns, eyes, and expressions show different features of the oxen. They are all interesting characters, just like the five brothers.