Admonitions Scroll (Song Dynasty Baimiao Copy) - Main Painting 7
Think of this scroll as an ancient imperial 'etiquette guide' for court ladies, illustrated with incredible elegance. This is a Song Dynasty copy of a famous 4th-century masterpiece attributed to Gu Kaizhi, using a technique called *baimiao* (white line drawing). Instead of heavy colors, the artist uses pure, fine ink lines to create robes that ripple like water or clouds around the graceful figures. The text interspersed between the women is a moral poem warning concubines to be virtuous. See those red stamps and calligraphy on the far left? That’s the Qianlong Emperor showing off—he was obsessed with this artwork and covered it with his own poetry and collector seals!
- Technique
- Ink line drawing (Baimiao)
Location: The Palace Museum, Beijing