|
|
|
A
City of Cathay
|
Price: $ 49.95
|
Painted
for the young Qianlong Emperor in 1736, "A City
of Cathay" is an 11-meter handscroll by artists
of the Qing court. It depicts a captivating vision of
urban life centuries earlier in the Northern Song capital
(modern Kaifeng), on the day of the springtime Qingming
festival. Here you will find a wedding procession with
colorful banners and musicians; a lively outdoor opera;
performing monkeys, acrobats and a tight-rope walker;
and the happy, carefree lives of the common people.
Its energy, accessibility and meticulous detail rank
this among the greatest of Chinese paintings. Enter
medieval China's age of wealth and witness the rich
texture of Chinese life in imperial times.
REVIEW
|
|
 Close-up
The distinctive format of an oriental scroll painting presents
a continuous series of narrative scenes.
Each area of the scroll, which measures 36 feet long in the
original, can be enlarged 64 times to allow you to appreciate
its every masterly detail.. |
 Guide
If you step into the painting "A City of Cathay",
what kind of sounds will you hear and what sort of things will
you see?
Simulated audio effects, together with pictures and text, lead
you on atreasure-hunt which lets you directly experience the
varied charms of life for ordinary Chinese townsfolk. |
 Highlights
As you open up the scroll, you will appreciate the thousands
of figures, the hundreds of shops and stalls, all the different
means of transport and the panoply of street scenes.
These thematic groupings take you on a walk through the streets
of the Northern Song capital, introducting you to contemporary
life in all its rich variety. |
 Journey
How does the layout of Chinese architectural
painting differ from that of Western perspective-based painting?
This menu will be your best guide to deeper appreciation and
artistic study. |
 Study
Like to know how many artists collaborated
together on this painting? Or when, where and under what circumstances
different artists worked on it?
Background information and profiles of the artists allow you
to understand the painting's genesis and its different versions
down the centuries. |
Fun
Choose from two puzzle games based on different sections of
the painting. |
