Minneapolis Institute of Art

Scenes of riding, leisure, and the hunt

Cheng Xiang

Date

late 17th–early 18th century

Medium

Ink on silk

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This expansive composition unfolds in three related scenes across a continuous landscape. At right, a high-ranking figure—possibly the emperor—pauses on horseback to receive a message, while noblewomen mounted behind him emphasize the horse as a marker of rank and refined leisure. At left, scholars on foot gather among rocks and trees in a relaxed outing, suggesting cultured retreat rather than official deliberation. Below, hunters on horseback pursue game through rugged terrain, highlighting martial skill and frontier horsemanship. Together, these scenes contrast courtly elegance, scholarly leisure, and ethnic hunting traditions, presenting the horse as a versatile agent of authority, recreation, and cross-cultural encounter in Qing visual culture. China, Asia

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