Children at Play on a Winter's Day
Children at Play on a Winter's Day
Anonymous, Sung Dynasty (960-1279)
Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk,
196.2 x 107.1 cm

     This work bears neither seal nor signature of the artist, so the title slip attributes it to an anonymous Sung painter. However, the quality of silk, size, appearance of the children, technique, and style all compare closely with "Children Playing in an Autumn Garden," another scroll in the Museum collection ascribed to Su Han-ch'en (fl. 12th century), one of the most famous painters of children. These two works, likely to have come from the same hand, also deal with a specific season, indicating they were once a pair or part of a set that also included now lost spring and summer scenes.
     The clothes, ornaments, and hairstyles of the children here closely relate to those in "Children Playing in an Autumn Garden." The boy and girl are shown playing in a courtyard setting. The boy pulls along a peacock feather attached to a piece of string attempting to catch the attention of a kitten nearby. The girl carries a checkered banner and also hopes to entice the kitten into chase.

    The two children move in the opposite direction of the kitten, creating balance in both form and movement. The drapery lines are both light and dark to suggest substance and definition. As in "Children Playing in an Autumn Garden," the hair has been exquisitely rendered. Despite the cold winter day, this scene seems fresh and warm.