Cai Han (; 1647–1686), was a Chinese landscape painter. She was the concubine of the painter
Mao Xiang and, with his other concubine
Jin Yue, she was commissioned by him with the task of producing paintings as gifts to his guests; they became known as "The Two Painters of the Mao Family".
Names
Cai Han's
courtesy name
A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...
on attaining adulthood was Nüluo (). She also went by her
art name
An art name (pseudonym or pen name), also known by its native names ''hào'' (in Mandarin Chinese), ''gō'' (in Japanese), ' (in Korean), and ''tên hiệu'' (in Vietnamese), is a professional name used by artists, poets and writers in the Sinosp ...
of Yuanyu ().
Life
Cai was the daughter of a member of staff in the house of Mao Xiang in
Rugao. Sometime during the reign of the
Shunzhi Emperor
The Shunzhi Emperor (15 March 1638 – 5 February 1661), also known by his temple name Emperor Shizu of Qing, personal name Fulin, was the second Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the first Qing emperor to rule over China pro ...
, an artist from
Suzhou
Suzhou is a major prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province, China. As part of the Yangtze Delta megalopolis, it is a major economic center and focal point of trade and commerce.
Founded in 514 BC, Suzhou rapidly grew in size by the ...
called Wu Ruixian () sought refuge with Mao. Wu taught Cai to paint and write poetry.
Around 1661, Cai became one of Mao's concubines, along with Jin Yue (). The two women collaborated on many compositions, earning renown as 'the two artists of the Mao family' ().
[
]
Art
Cai Han was particularly well-known for her landscape paintings
A landscape is the visible features of an area of Terrestrial ecoregion, land, its landforms, and how they integrate with Nature, natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Diction ...
. The ''Guochao Hua Zheng Xulü'' () described Cai as, 'particularly good at painting landscapes, flowers, animals, and birds,' and, 'adept at imitations.' She painted many pieces together with her fellow concubine
Concubinage is an interpersonal relationship, interpersonal and Intimate relationship, sexual relationship between two people in which the couple does not want to, or cannot, enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarde ...
Jin Yue 金鈅, including ''Auspicious noon'', now held in the Nanjing Museum. In her depictions of people, Xie Li identifies the influence of Tang Yin
Tang Yin (; 6 March 1470 – 7 January 1524), courtesy name Bohu () and Ziwei (子畏), was a Chinese painter, calligrapher, and poet of the Ming dynasty period.
Even though he was born during the Ming dynasty, many of his paintings, especially t ...
on Cai's technique. In 2001, one of Cai's works painted in 1680, titled ''Shuihui yuan tu'' (), appeared at an auction house
An auction house is a business establishment that facilitates the buying and selling of assets, such as works of art and collectibles.
Overview
The auction house is the physical facility where the objects are catalogued, displayed, and presented ...
in Shanghai
Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
, where it was sold for 40,000 RMB[Approximately 6100 ]USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...
, or 5140 EUR
The euro (symbol: €; currency code: EUR) is the official currency of 20 of the member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the euro area or, more commonly, the eurozone. The euro is divided into 10 ...
, at the time. to an unknown buyer.[
]
References
Notes
Works cited
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External links
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1647 births
1686 deaths
17th-century Chinese painters
Qing dynasty landscape painters
17th-century Chinese women artists
{{DEFAULTSORT:Han, Cai