Ten-Fine Hound ("Yellow Panther")

Ten-Fine Hound ("Yellow Panther", 十駿犬茹黃豹)

Lang Shining (郎世寧, 1688-1766), Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)

Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk, 247.5 x 163.7 cm, National Palace Museum, Taipei

       Ten-Fine Hounds, showing the Qianlong Emperor's purebred hunting dogs at the Southern Preserve and hunting grounds, has Manchu, Mongolian, and Chinese titles. Castiglione was ordered to paint these tribute dogs presented by the Manchu vice-minister San He. By the paulownia and pomegranate flowers, "Yellow Panther" hesitates, looking back and staring at the screaming magpie. The background landscape by a Chinese court painter creates an ideal "Sino-Western fusion" suiting traditional Chinese taste.