There is nothing fussy about this scroll: cranes in a misty landscape, honest brushwork, and room to breathe. The crane gives the scroll its character — familiar, yet painted as if seen for the first time. Look closer and you'll pick out pine, waterfall and mountains — each stroke placed with intent.
Confident washes and varied, animated lines give it the rhythm of a brush that never second-guessed itself. The symbolism is part of the pleasure: falling water is the steady flow of fortune, never still. The coloring is mineral reds, in the mineral-pigment manner that ages gracefully. Seasonal feeling runs through it: autumn runs through it — ripe color, clear air, the year turning. One cord, one nail: the scroll hangs flat and true, in the time-honored fashion.
Find it a patch of wall with decent light and step back; the scroll takes care of the rest. Collectors of crane silk wall art will find this one easy to live with. It is a fine example of pine and waterfall Chinese painting, the kind of piece that grows on you.
