Li Gonglin - Two Horses

There are very few (3 or 4) known paintings by Li Gonglin (1049-1106), which would make this attribution rather ambitious. Maybe in a few generations, we will be able to determine exactly who painted this. In the meantime, one can only admire the elegance and skill deployed in the making of this work on paper. The inscriptions are attributed to Emperor Huizong (1082-1135), Zhang Yan (Yuan Dynasty), Zi Jing (Ming Dynasty), Wen Zhengming (1470-1559), Yi Lin (Qing Dynasty) and Liang Qingbiao (1620-1691). For once, the imperial seal seems to be in the right place on top of the column, while the numerous inscriptions and collectors' seals blend harmoniously in the whole picture and enhance it somehow.