Su Wu Tends Sheep
3 min readPainter:Ren Bonian
Painting Year:the Qing Dynasty
Material:silk scroll
Dimension:unknown
Collection Place:unknown
Su Wu Tends Sheep is wonderful artwork of Ren Bonian in the Qing Dynasty.It highlights Su Wu，an envoy of the Han Dynasty，who was exiled by the Hun to become a shepherd beside the North Sea.In this artwork，Su Wu sits on the ground，and holds a banner of the Han Dynasty（this banner was used to prove the envoy identity in ancient times，and its top part was decorated with colorful feather）.Some lying and standing sheep are around him.In such desolate atmosphere，Su Wu keeps frm and persistent with inflexible will.He never succumbs to the Hun，and upholds patriotism with loyalty to the Han Dynasty.
This artwork features overall concise style and semi-elaborate and semi-freehand brushwork，which shows classical fgure with straightforward and unconstrained lines.The fleecy sheep fur looks soft.
Brief Background
Semi-elaborate and semi-freehand brushwork
Semi-elaborate and semi-freehand brushwork ranges between elaborate style and freehand style，which integrates elaborate style and freehand style.It not only features exquisite elements，but also bold elements.The overall style is more unconstrained than pure painting in elaborate style and more refned than painting in freehand style.
Art Master
Ren Bonian（1840-1895）
Ren Bonian, with another name of Ren Yi, was a famous painter during the late Qing Dynasty, who was a native of Shanyin(today’s Shaoxing, Zhejiang). With comprehensive painting skills, he was good at painting of figure, painting of landscape and painting of flower and bird, in particular painting of flower and bird and painting of figure with great infuence.
As a lonely and recluse shepherd for a long time, Su Wu has white beard and hair. But he is always loyal to the Han Dynasty. The banner in his hands is presented by Em-peror Wu of the lHan Dynasty when he is sent on a diplomatic mission to the Hhun, which mir-rors his spirit. As Su Wu holds banner in his hands every day, many feathers of the banner drop, but Su wu still grips the banner.
Story Corner
Su Wu Tended Sheep
In 100BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Su Wu on a diplomatic mission to the Hun. After arrival in the Hun, Chanyu(emperor) of the Hun appreciated him and wished that Su Wu could stay there and work for the Hun. But Su Wu didn’t agree. The angry Chanyu exiled Su Wu to tend sheep beside the North Sea(in today’s Baikal Region in Siberia, Russia), and said that Su Wu could return to the Han Dynasty under the premise that male sheep gave birth to baby sheep.
Su Wu tended sheep in the cold and remote region of the North Sea, who lived a tough life there for a long time. Thanks to repeated negotiations by the Han Dynasty, Chanyu consented to release Su Wu to return back to his hometown. At this time, Su Wu spent 19 years on tending sheep. In these arduous years, he was covered withsilvery hair and beard. When he returned to Chang’ an (today’s Xi’ an), citywide people welcomed hin. When they saw the bare banner in Su Wu’s hands, they were moved by his patriotism.
The banner is presented by
—Dynasty when Su Wu is sent on a diplomatic mission to the Hun.
Blank background highlights desolate and uninhabited region of North Sea.
-Covered with silvery unholds inflexible facial expression to sit on the barren grassland.
This figure is outlined
—with lines and rendered，flexible lines and bold clothing texture.
Some sheep lie or stand，and crouch to gather up.
This highlights the theme ndncnln environment，adding resonance for this painting.
Sheep glance to the left and to the right and take different postures，which.
