Collectors of Chinese flower and bird painting will recognize the format immediately — silk scroll, plum blossom and magpie, touches of gold leaf brightness. Seasoned buyers of Chinese botanical wall art will recognize the practiced hand at once. Washes of touches of gold keep the eye moving without ever tiring it.
Chinese viewers would read the scene at a glance: plum blossom, the flower that stands for perseverance, and the magpie, a herald of good news. Throughout, balanced, harmonious tones shape the atmosphere, and the brush never overworks a passage. The vertical format was designed for walls — it draws the eye upward the way a path climbs a hill. Around plum blossom and magpie, the balanced, harmonious tones settle into a calm, unified field. The painter's touches of gold leaf brightness shows especially well in plum blossom and magpie.
In a hallway, hang it where the walk naturally pauses. For Mother's Day or Father's Day, it beats the usual by a mile.
