Tales from the Land of Dragons: 1,000 Years of Chinese Painting

These masterpieces of Chinese painting from the past millennium--culled from the extensive collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston--are lucidly presented in this scholarly and beautifully illustrated catalogue. The pieces discussed range from historical allegories from the first century A.D., to breathtaking twelfth century landscapes, to precisely observed animal scenes from the era of the Yuan Dynasty--the finest examples of the world's oldest continuing painting tradition. Also considered are the relationships between Chinese painting and other forms of art, particularly calligraphy, which was of course central to traditional Chinese culture. An informed and comprehensive introduction by scholar Wu Tung sets the works in their historical and social contexts.