Inspired by the master figure and horse painter Li Gonglin (c. 1041-1106), Pu outlines his figures and adopts the archaistic device of painting them without a setting. The details on the robes of the figures are sumptuous and intricate. However, in a colophon penned by modern scholar Rao Zongyi, Pu’s mistake in thinking that the subject he chose was of a concubine leaving the court is pointed out. According to Rao, the original painting by Li Gonglin is in the Palace Museum and can used for verification. The depicted scene is in actual fact Lady Guoguo’s Spring Outing . Lady Guoguo was the equally ravishing younger sister of the famous Tang concubine, Yang Guifei. This particular scene was first captured by Zhang Xuan (a. 714-742) and copied by Li Gonglin and Emperor Huizong (r. 1101-1125).
