Ren Renfa: Artist and Official
Ren Renfa was an expert of irrigation works, artist, and a government official of the Yuan dynasty. Born in Qinglong Town, Songjiang, he also served as a hydrological engineer, where his work included dredging an area in what is now Beijing to improve the water supply and leading a team to build embankments after the Yellow River burst its banks.
Notable Works
His paintings include subjects such as horses, people, flowers, and birds. One prominent work is Chu Yu Tu (Coming out of the Stable), a painting on silk with color that depicts three officials of the royal stables leading four horses out of a stable. The figures in this work are dressed in Tang style costumes.
Another significant work is Five Drunken Princes Returning on Horseback, a two-metre scroll depicting five princes on horseback with four attendants. This piece includes Li Longji, who later became the Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty. Ren Renfa also produced the work Fat and Lean Horses, which contains an inscription explaining that the fat horse represents the self-satisfied, wealthy official while the lean one represents the humble, poor, self-deprecating official.
Questions & Answers
In which historical period did Ren Renfa work?
Ren Renfa worked in the High-Medieval period. The period situates the artist's activity in history.
Where can I see Ren Renfa's artworks arranged by atmosphere?
The Mood Room of Ren Renfa is a page that arranges the artist's artworks by mood.
What aliases or alternate names does Ren Renfa have?
Ren Renfa appears under the alternate names Tzu-ming Jen, Yueshandaoren, Renfa Ren, Yüeh-shan-tao-jen, Ren Ziming.
