Collectors of Chinese flower and bird painting will recognize the format immediately — silk scroll, plum blossom, meihua, full moon, butterfly, house, and river, classical brushwork. Seasoned buyers of gongbi flower painting will recognize the practiced hand at once. The scene breathes; nothing is crowded, and the silk itself becomes part of the picture.
Behind the beauty sits meaning: plum blossom, the flower that stands for perseverance, while butterflies, symbols of joy and transformation. The subject takes its form from classical brushwork; its feeling comes from soft natural tones. Centuries of connoisseurs preferred silk for its depth; the preference still holds. Around plum blossom, meihua, and full moon, the soft natural tones settle into a calm, unified field. Plum blossom, done in classical brushwork, is the passage collectors will return to.
It can anchor a gallery wall or hold its own entirely alone. Give it at the holidays and it will be remembered long after.
