Across the silk of this tiger scroll painting, the two tigers full moon theme plays out in classical tones. The picture's rhythm is slow and deliberate, in the manner of the old schools. Among pieces of elegant chinese wall scroll, this is the quiet kind: balanced, calm, and easy to live with.
A full moon hangs in the painted sky, round and impossibly calm. Pines stand in clusters, their needle masses dabbed in with a dry brush. In the middle distance, the forest anchors the painting's sense of place. Winter holds the scene in its grip, the palette cooled and quieted. Snow caps the distant peaks, painted as untouched silk against the ink. Drawn with economical strokes, the two tigers keeps the scene grounded and honest.
It keeps good company with the finest chinese silk scroll painting, the kind that rewards daily looking. Let it hang where morning light can find it; the silk will thank you. Morning light flatters it; harsh sun should be avoided.
