Grandeur, abundance, panache
Ritual, precise and strange
Another instance of narrative progression can be seen in this scroll on a ghostly morality tale involving a cast of minor demons and enlightened beings. Painted on silk, the brushwork is crisper than that in Ding's work on paper. But similarly, a range of textures and materials are suggested and this – along with the inventive details of the figures – is a significant part of the pleasure to be had here.
This uses a composition that was repeatedly undertaken in much the same form by many artists. It bears a spurious signature of LI Gonglin 李公麟 (1049–1106), a Northern Song specialist in figure painting. Inasmuch as this is clearly a much later painting, the signature may or may not be a sign of the intent to deceive. Made so long after his time, it might only serve to remind us of the heritage of such an image, behind which the actual maker of this work preserves his anonymity.
  |   |
| Anonymous, 17th century Handscroll, ink on silk 28 x 702.5 cm Private collection |