明人畫出警圖
絹本 設色畫
縱：92.1公分 橫：2601.3公分
明人畫入蹕圖
絹本 設色畫
縱：92.1公分 橫：3003.6公分
這支盛大的皇家謁陵隊伍，由北京城得勝門出發，直至皇帝謁陵的目的地，離京城四十五公里外的天壽山，這裡是明朝歷代皇帝的陵寢區。
「出警圖」與「入蹕圖」雖是各自分開的二幅長卷，但是所繪的卻同是掃墓、巡視的過程，因而通常被合稱為「出警入蹕圖」。
畫家將皇室謁陵的整個時空歷程出發→抵達→返回，濃縮於二幅長卷之中。傳統觀賞「出警圖」是由右往左；「入蹕圖」則由左往右。「出警圖」繪皇帝騎馬，由陸路出京，「入蹕圖」畫皇帝坐船，走水路還宮。這兩幅圖卷不但是國立故宮博物院所收藏手卷畫作中最長的兩幅（「出警圖」的橫長有26公尺，「入蹕圖」更是超過30公尺），人物眾多，場面宏偉，更是歷代繪畫作品中少見的超級鉅作。
這二幅作品，均未署名作者姓名。但可以確定的是，得出動許多宮廷畫師的合力創作，才能完成這二幅佈局精采生動的鉅作。
Anonymous, Ming dynasty
Departure Herald Imperial Procession Leaving the Palace
Handscroll, ink and color on silk, 92.1 x 2601.3 cm
Anonymous, Ming dynasty
Return Clearing Imperial Procession Returning to the Palace
Handscroll, ink and color on silk, 92.1 x 3003.6 cm
In this handscroll is a great imperial procession making its way to pay respects at the imperial tombs. Departing from the Te-sheng ("Victory") Gate of the Peking city wall, the artists here depicted shops along the way and the appearance of ceremonial guards to the final destination of the imperial tombs, the final resting place for Ming dynasty emperors 45 kilometers from the capital at Mt. T'ien-shou.
"Departure Herald" is actually accompanied by another long handscroll painting entitled "Return Clearing". That work depicts the process of the tomb sweeping and inspection tour. Usually considered as a pair, they are collectively known as "Departure Herald and Return Clearing".
Encapsulated into both scrolls, the artists depicted the entire event over time and space from the departure, arrival at the destination, and return to the capital. The traditional means of viewing "Departure Herald" is from right to left, whereas "Return Clearing" is from left to right. "Departure Herald" represents the emperor riding a horse, taking land route from the capital, while in "Return Clearing", he is shown riding on a boat, taking a water route back to the palace.
These two scrolls are not only the two longest handscrolls in the collection of the National Palace Museum ("Departure Herald" measuring 26 meters and "Return Clearing" more than 30 meters in length), they represent a rare, enormous effort in terms of the number of figures and majesty of the scenery seen among surviving works of Chinese painting.
Neither of these two works were signed or sealed by the artists who painted them. However, judging from the style, content, and great effort, it most likely took a cooperative effort of many court artists in order to complete these two great masterpieces of imperial Chinese painting.
