Picking Osmund
3 min readPainter:Li Tang
Painting Year:the Southern Song Dynasty
Material:silk scroll
Dimension:vertical length of 27.2 centimeters and horizontal length of 90.5 centimeters Collection Place:the Palace Museun in Beijing
Picking osmund is representative artwork of Li Tang，a famous painter in the Southern Song Dynasty.It depicts Bo Yi and Shu Qi who hid in Shouyang Mountain，picked edible wild herbs and refused to eat the food of the Zhou Dynasty after the annihilation of the Shang Dynasty.
In this artwork，Bo Yi and Shu Qi perhaps feel tired after picking edible wild herbs，who have a rest on the ground.They seen to discuss about a serious question.One carefully delivers an address，and the other is concentrated on listening.Around them，there are old pine and winding rattan.Misty mountain and flowing water are far away.Chilly and lonely atmosphere highlights aloof and proud character and spirit of Bo Yi and Shu Qi.The painter not only speaks highly of national moral integrity，but also satirizes those renegades who betrayed the motherland and threw into the lap of the Jin Dynasty to seek after nabobism when the Southern Song Dynasty fought against the Jin Dynasty.
Art Master
Li Tang（1066-1150）
Li Tang was a painter in Court Painting Academy from the late Northern Song Dynasty to the early Southern Song Dynasty，who was a native of Sancheng，Heyang（today’s Mengzhou，Henan）.He painted a variety of topics.He was skilled in painting of fgure，painting of landscape，painting of plum fower and bamboo，painting of animal and boundary painting，and his painting of fgure and painting of landscape enjoy the greatest infuence.
Shu Qi sits on the ground.and presses the ground, and other hand makes gesture. He looks at Bo Yi, and opens mouth to talking to Bo Yi. shu Qi’s tousled hair, confdent eyes and high-spirited posture prove his determination of keeping moral integrity without fear of severe environment.
GeneralKnowledge
Four Painting Masters of the Northern Song Dynasty Four Painting Masters of the Northern Song Dynasty refer to Li Tang, Liu Songnian, Ma Yuan and Xia Gui.
They originated the new virile and vigorous style of painting of landscape in the Northern Song Dynasty. Their artworks are hailed as”painting of landscape in Court Style.”
Bo Yi crosses his legsandsits. with skinmy body and indinant facial expression, he stares at Shu Qi, who is concent ratedon listening.
This figure is vividly depicted, with simple, bold and clear clothing texture. with ink and color as backeround, light-colored clothes of the fgures are apparent so that both great men are more highlighted.
Story Corner
Bo Yi and Shu Qi
In the Shang Dynasty, there was a leud”Guzhujun.”He had two sons Bo Yi and Shu Qi. Both brothers practisedcourtliness, and they were unwilling to come to the throne after Guzhujun died. So they escaped from their kingdom and worked for King Wen of the Zhou Dynasty. After Emperor Wen of the Zhou Dynasty passed away, KingWu of the Zhou Dynasty led the army to crusade against the tyrant King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty. Bo Yi and Shu Qi thought themselves as offcials of the Shang Dynasty and should be loyal to the Shang Dynasty. Bo Yi and Shu Qi blocked the way when King Wu of the Zhou Dynasty set off. But King Wu of the Zhou Dynasty ignored and didn’t make both brothers feel embarrassed.
The Shang Dynasty was annihilated soon. After the annihilation of the Shang Dynasty, King Wu of the Zhou Dynasty founded the Zhou Dynasty. Bo Yi and Shu Qi were sorrowful. They decided to maintain moral integrity for the Shang Dynasty. They believed that it was a shame to eat the food of the Zhou Dynasty. They hid in Shouyang Mountain (in today’s south part of Yongji County, Shanxi). They picked edible wild herbs to allay their hunger and drank creek when they felt thirsty. At last, Bo Yi and Shu Qi starved to death due to lack of food.
