7. Along the River During the Qingming Festival – Zhang Zeduan
Another artist, Zhang Zeduan (1085–1145) also depicted the landscape in his work Along the River During the Qingming Festival. However, instead of concentrating on the vastness of nature, he captured the daily life of the people of Bianjing, present-day Kaifeng. His work reveals much about life in China during the 11-12th century. For example, it depicts one river ship lowering its bipod mast before passing under the prominent bridge of the painting. The myriad of people interacting with one another reveal the nuances of the class structure during the festive days.
In this five-meter-long scroll, Zhang Zeduan managed to include 814 people, 28 boats, 60 animals, 30 buildings, 20 vehicles, 8 sedan chairs, and 170 trees. There are two main sections of the painting: the countryside and the densely populated city. The right section is the rural area with crop fields, farmers, goatherds, and pig herders. Meanwhile, on the left, urban area, you can see people from walks of life. For example, someone is loading cargo onto a boat, others are begging, and monks asking for alms.
The Rainbow Bridge
The main focus of the scroll is where the great bridge crosses the river. Vendors extend all along the Rainbow Bridge. You can see the bustling activity with a multitude of people. You wonder if the boat will crash into the bridge as it approaches at an awkward angle with its mast not completely lowered. The crowds on the bridge and along the riverside are gesturing toward the boat.
Because of its skillful representation of life in the Song dynasty (960–1279), this painting has been imitated, copied, and forged many times. The story has it that Qiu Ying, a 16th-century artist who painted beautiful copies of Along the River During the Qingming Festival, prompted forgers to produce forgeries of his copies.
