Li Song
Detailed Southern Song genre scenes
Li Song (1166—1243) was from Qiantang (now Hangzhou) in the Southern Song Dynasty and served as a court painter under Emperors Guangzong, Ningzong, and Lizong. He grew up poor and worked as a carpenter in his youth, but was later adopted by the court painter Li Congxun to learn painting. His work covered subjects like people, Taoist and Buddhist themes, customs, landscapes, and architectural paintings, and he was especially known for his series depicting rural life, such as "Peddler Pictures" and "Farming Scenes." The surviving "Peddler Pictures" are housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing, the National Palace Museum in Taipei, and several museums in the United States. His "Skull Fantasy Picture" is considered a mystery in art history because of its obscure meaning, and he also left behind landscapes like "West Lake Scenes" and "Watching the Tide." His paintings often show everyday life and the economy of the Southern Song cities, with detailed depictions of objects and folk scenes reflecting his keen observation of life—for example, "Peddler Pictures" fully captures the atmosphere of the Lantern Festival market.