Hang this Chinese beauty scroll painting and the first thing it offers is guqin and plum blossom. It sits comfortably within the Chinese figure silk painting tradition while keeping its own character. Color is used the painterly way here — meticulous gongbi brushwork in rich mineral color laid on with a sure, unhurried hand.
Look longer and the meaning opens up — plum blossom, the flower that stands for perseverance, and the guqin, the scholar's own instrument. Layered washes in warm, unified color do the quiet work beneath the confident linework. Scrolls were traditionally changed with the seasons; this one earns a permanent spot. Warm, unified color dominate the scene, but small accents keep guqin from getting lost. Around guqin and plum blossom, the warm, unified color settle into a calm, unified field.
The kitchen's quiet wall is an underrated spot for a scroll. Anyone furnishing a new home will thank you for a piece like this.
