Artisit: Huang Shen (1687—1768AD)

Dimensions: Height: 181cm; width: 101cm

Origin: donated by Cao Yin in 1987

The 31st year of Kangxi reign Period of Qing Dynasty (1766)  

Depicted in this painting is a traditional Chinese story of “Ma Gu gives her birthday greetings”. Ma Gu (literally, "Hemp Maid") painted on this hanging scroll is a legendary Taoist immortal associated with the elixir of life, and she is a symbolic protector of females in Chinese mythology. Stories in Chinese literature describe Ma Gu as a beautiful young woman with long birdlike fingernails, while early myths associate her with caves. “Ma Gu gives her birthday greetings" is a popular motif in Chinese art.

Huang Shen (1687—1768AD) was a Chinese painter during the Qing Dynasty. In the earliest part of his career he excelled at cursive calligraphy and favored a meticulous style modeled after Ni Zan. He became better known as an artistic innovator who was one of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou. When it came to paintings of people he favored images of religious, historic, and common people.