Gibbons Playing in a Loquat Tree
Anonymous, Sung Dynasty (960-1279)
Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk, 165 x 107.9 cm

      An old loquat tree extends behind a rock and diagonally through this work as branches come back into the picture frame at the top. The trunk, although cut off at the left, still conveys the sense of the entire tree, which shows the artist's skill at compositional design and suggestion.

      The seated gibbon holds onto the trunk of the tree and watches another gibbon that hangs playfully from a branch above and looks down. The artist not only successfully captured the furry texture of the gibbons, but also their movement and behavior. This attention to detail as well as to rendering the spirit is a hallmark of naturalism in Sung dynasty painting. In fact, the representation of the fur is so realistic that it looks as if it can be touched. This reveals the superb use of brush and ink on the part of the artist. Besides the convincing texture of the tree and rocks, the use of coloring for them is also naturalistic and elegant. The leaves also twist quite naturally in space. These factors make this is a masterpiece of Sung dynasty painting.