Under his brushwork, the imperial ladies wore simple clothes in beautiful colors; most of them were plump. His representative works are Ladies with Head-pinned Flowers, Ladies Playing with Fans, and Ladies Playing Stringed Instruments. Ladies with Head-pinned Flowers depicts the life of court ladies -- the rotund concubines wearing magnificent clothes strolling in the flower garden. The background is very simple as the artistic conception of the painting is mostly reflected through the expressions of the female figures.

Ladies Playing with Fans by Zhou Fang

The Han and Wei Dynasty portrait painting had a more religious and moral content, whereas Zhang Xuan's and Zhou Fang's portrait paintings emphasized real life. As forerunners of secular lady paintings, they had a big influence on later paintings of court ladies.

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