Li Tang

1050 - 1130

Li Tang
High Medieval
High Medieval

Li Tang

Born 1050 Died 1130

The Life and Career of Li Tang Born around 1050 in Heyang, Li Tang begins his career in the shadow of the Northern Song dynasty. He earns his living through painting, a pursuit that leads him to the imperial court in Bianjing. Under the patronage of Emperor Huizong, Li Tang ascends to the highest rank in the Painting Academy. His position at the center of the court places him at the heart of the era's artistic production. The stability of the court fractures during the Jurchen Jin invasion of 1126–27. Li Tang survives this period of upheaval. As the court retreats south to establish the Sou…

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works mapped
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subjects
1130
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An Interactive Constellation

The Subject Atlas

A chart of Li Tang's corpus mapped not by date but by subject. Spokes are what they painted; rings are when; and the threads between stars reveal the patrons and places that secretly connect them.

Focus a Subject
Trace a Context

Spokes — Subject

Each arm of the atlas gathers works by what they depict: portraits, sacred scenes, mythologies, and the scientific studies. Click a spoke to swing that cluster to the top.

Rings — Career Period

Distance from the center marks time. The innermost ring is the earliest period; the outermost, the final years. Style matures as you move outward.

Threads — Shared Context

Coloured lines link works bound by the same patron, commission, or theme. Trace a context to watch related clusters light up across subjects.