This handscroll was purchased from George Eumorfopoulos in 1936.
This handscroll painting, "Oxen," belongs to the school or style of Han Huang (723–787), a Tang Dynasty official and painter renowned for his depictions of cattle and rural life. Han Huang belonged to an aristocratic family in Chang'an and his father, Han Lin, served as the teacher of the arts to the crown prince. Despite facing hardships at the start of his official career, Han Huang held several official positions during the reigns of Emperors Suzong, Daizong, and Dezong, eventually serving as the prime minister under Emperor Daizong. His adminstrative career brought him into contact with rural communities, where he was known for being sympathetic to the farmers and even assisting them with problems they faced, because of which he was praised and widely known. Han Huang's interest in agriculture and the lives of farmers became an important aspect of his artistic legacy.
Han Huang is celebrated for his depictions of cattle, which reflect his attention to rural life and the importance of livestock in agricultural society. His paintings of oxen became an important part of his reputation as an artist, and his work is associated with a tradition of representing animals with careful attention to their forms and movements. Oxen have long played an important role in Chinese agriculture and society, serving as working animals and appearing in artistic representations of rural life. They were also used as symbols and metaphors for strength and hardwork. Their presence in Chinese painting therefore offers insight into the relationship between people, animals, and the land.
According to the British Museum, where this handscroll is housed, this handscroll depicts two water buffaloes in a landscape, with one person riding a buffalo and another person leading the second buffalo by a rope. Painted in ink on silk, the work dates to the Yuan Dynasty (1279–1368). The animals and the human figures with them occupy the centre of the composition, while the surrounding landscape includes trees and rocks rendered with considerable detail. Although the background is relatively bare, these elements provide a setting for the figures and draw attention to the animals themselves.
Although this painting is not attributed directly to Han Huang, its association with his artistic style highlights the continuing interest in cattle as a subject in Chinese painting. Through its depiction of water buffaloes within a landscape, the work recalls rural themes with which Han Huang is closely associated and offers an example of how his artistic legacy continued to be recognised in later periods.
I see it as a celebration of rural harmony and the virtues associated with agricultural life. The two water buffaloes in my opinion represent strength, patience and hard work, while their calm coexistence with the human figures suggests mutual dependence between people, animals and the land.
