Horses and Grooms [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org]

By three generations of Zhao’s family (the legendary artist Zhao Mengfu and his son, Zhao Yong, as well as his grandson, Zhao Lin) probably from 1296 to 1359, this work is one of the representative masterpieces of the whole Yuan Dynasty.

The groom’s face is rendered with an equally deft touch, while the horse’s rump appears to have been drawn with a compass. These factors create an image both eye-catching and subtle.