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Description

The devil hunter Zhong Kui in European dress. China, 1783. Signed Zhang Rulin of Minzhong. Ink and colours on silk. A European print was clearly employed as the basis for the depiction of this subject. The Chinese called Westerners 'red-haired devils'. That is probably what gave the artist the idea of portraying this Chinese exorciser of devils, Zhong Kui, as a European. Paintings of the devil hunter accompanied by one or two demons were made especially to be shown at new year. Bats and peaches ? symbols of goodluck and long life ? are always featured in these pictures.

Untitled

1738

Accession Number

N/A

Medium

N/A

Dimensions

height 122.6 cm x width 101.5 cm x width 125 cm x depth 6.5 cm x weight 2 kg

Classification

Painting

Museum

Rijksmuseum

Amsterdam, Netherlands