Galloping Through Dynasties

October 7, 2022–January 1, 2023

Schiff Gallery (Gallery 234)
Free admission.
Press Release (PDF)

Galloping Through Dynasties explores the evolution of Chinese horse painting and sculpture throughout 3000 years of Chinese history. The 60 works of art on display—drawn from the collections of leading U.S. and Asian museums—decode the symbolic language of horses in Chinese art and reveal rich information about China’s history and culture.

From the ancient Zhou dynasty (circa 1045–771 BCE) to the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), images of horses form an allegorical language through which many political and social aspects of Chinese history are reflected. The Chinese emperors’ passion for fine horses further enhanced its prominent status in Chinese art. Over time, the rich symbolic content of horse imagery was matched by the increasingly diversified styles and personal expressions of the artists who painted this iconic animal.

Galloping Through Dynasties is the first of its kind to present to museum audiences the many recent research findings on Chinese horse painting and sculpture. Through carefully selected examples, this exhibition—only at the Cincinnati Art Museum—illustrates how the horse played an important role in shaping the sociopolitical world of China and provides museum visitors with new insights into unique aspects of Chinese art and culture.

Generously supported by:

E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation

Jeanann Gray Dunlap Foundation

Elizabeth Hoffman Huddleston and Frazier Huddleston

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