Chen Jiang-Hong, translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick,
The Magic Horse of Han Gan
Enchanted Lion Books, 2007 (first American edition).

Ages 4-8

Committed to telling stories that relate the traditions of ancient China, Paris-based Chinese author and illustrator Chen Jiang Hong (Little Eagle) brings us a fictionalized account of Chinese painter Han Gan’s journey to becoming a famous painter, 1,200 years ago.

As a young boy who loved to draw horses and make them “as real and alive as possible”, Han Gan was first encouraged and helped by famous painter/poet of the Tang Dinasty, Wang Wei. Later in life, he was  invited by the emperor to join the prestigious Court Academy of Official Painters, where he refused to imitate the works of ancient masters, as customs of the time dictated: he only painted horses ­– and tethered ones at that.

When asked why he always portrayed his horses hitched-up, he replied (and here the author imagines): “My horses are so alive they might leap right off the paper.” Rumor about his “magic brush and horses” traveled far and one day he is asked by a warrior to paint a “valiant and spirited” stallion. After attempting one and deeming it worthless, Han Gan throws the horse drawing into the fire – and, to his surprise, a majestic animal leaps out from the flames.

Great feats were reported by the warrior, who claimed that both he and the brave stallion were magically untouched by arrows or spears: but, as it turns out, the horse, overcome with sadness, could no longer bear to serve such a heartless and unkind master. Here Jiang-Hong depicts the animal's pain with so much conviction that it overwhelms us.

His “ink directly on silk” paintings for the book (the same technique used by Han Gan) help the story to stay true to its origins although, unfortunately, only upon close inspection can the shadows of a silk-like texture be found– the sheerness of the original media no longer available to the eye through the printed page.

An animal that has always fascinated artists, the horse has inspired some very powerful images in art, and Han Gan’s horse paintings, as re-imagined by Jiang-Hong in stampeding illustrations across two-page spreads, attest to the legendary power of his work.  A Junior Guild Premier Selection, The Magic Horse of Han Gan will appeal to children fond of horses and to all those interested in Ancient China and/or in books about the power of art to break boundaries.

Aline Pereira
March 2008