A Word for Shen Yuan

This paper discusses the roles of Shen Yuan, an artist at the Yongzheng court, who produced the monochrome cartoon of Qingming shanghe tu, and of the five court artists who produced the final version in colors on silk. Their respective contributions show that Shen Yuan used details from Zhang Zeduan's Song-dynasty original and later versions to create an entirely new composition. The five court artists adhered closely to Shen Yuan's cartoon, while adding some embellishments. The unusual honor accorded to the cartoon, bearing seals of Prince Bao, and mounted with the same brocade as Qiu Ying's version, highlight Shen Yuan's seminal role, despite his name not appearing in the finished painting.