The author and content of "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" are as follows:

1. "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" was painted by Zhang Zeduan, a painter in the Northern Song Dynasty.

This painting depicts the urban landscape of Bianliang, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, and the beautiful scenery on both sides of the Bianhe River. The painting shows the markets on both sides of the Bian River, which are bustling, bustling with traffic and beautiful scenery.

2. Artistic characteristics.

"Along the River During the Qingming Festival" adopts the "scattered perspective" method of Chinese painting to incorporate complex characters and scenery into a unified and varied picture.

3. Historical value.

"Along the River During the Qingming Festival" depicts the grand urban life scenes of Bianliang during the Northern Song Dynasty, which is unique in the history of painting in China and the world.

Appreciation of the painting:

1. "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" can be divided into three paragraphs. The first thing you see is the scenery on the outskirts of Bianjing. The middle section mainly depicts the busy scenes of Shangtu Bridge and both sides of the Dabian River. The latter section depicts the street scene in Bianjing city. The characters are carefully observed, and each one is complete in form and spirit, showing every detail, and full of interest.

2. Zhang Zeduan has a high degree of artistic generalization, which makes "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" reach a high artistic level. "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" is unprecedented in its rich content, numerous characters, and grand scale. The pictures are densely spaced and orderly. From the quiet suburbs to the lively urban streets, every part is fascinating.