BRIDGEMAN/ACIARTIST LIU guandao, also known by the name
Zhongxian, was a prominent painter known
for his technical skill and realistic depictions
of traditional Chinese subjects. His portrait of
Kublai Khan’s son earned him a position at court,
where he went on to create many other works
for the great khan. Among them is a piece now
in the collection of the National Palace Museum
in Taipei, Taiwan. Painted on yellow silk, the work
shows Kublai Khan (dressed in a white coat over
a red robe) and his empress with a hunting party.
The attendants’ different skin tones and ethnic
features indicate that the khan’s companions
came from outside China. Along for the hunt
are a hawk, a cheetah, a white falcon, and a dog
to assist the archer in bringing down their prey.PATRON OF
THE ARTS