Ode to Peace, No. 8: Dragon Boat Festival
Artist
Fang Zhaoling
(Chinese, 1914 - 2006)
Date1985
MaterialsInk and colors on paper
DimensionsH. 27 in x W. 34 1/4 in, H. 68.6 cm x W. 87 cm (image); H. 71 in x W. 44 1/2 in, H. 180.3 cm x W 113 cm (overall)
Credit LineGift of the artist's children
Object number2005.27
DepartmentChinese Art
ClassificationsPainting
On View
Not on viewInscribedInscribed: In praise of peace, number 8. Fang Zhaoling of Liangqi at the studio on Kotwall Road.
On the flag of the central boat: Peace, Dragon Boat Festival, 1985.
Flag on lower boat: Bumper Harvest.
Flag on Uppermost boat: Favorable wind.
More InformationThe artist purposefully applied a naïve and artless style to depict a colorful scene of the popular Dragon Boat Festival, which functioned as a traditional way of appeasing the rain god in southern China. On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month each year, racing boats would be decorated with dragon’s head and tail and villagers would gather on the riverbanks to cheer for the boat of their own villages. The race was held as a ceremony to awaken the hibernating Heavenly Dragon and pray for the fertility of crops and the prosperity of the people, as marked by the flags on boats. This image also conveys the wish for a peaceful life in a harmonious society where people could enjoy festival entertainments and holiday celebrations.
