Flora, Birds, and Insects, Album Leaves
Li Shan
Qing Dynasty
- MEDIUM:Ink and color on paper
- FORMATS:Album of ten leaves
- DIMENSIONS:Height 18.0 cm; Width 30.0 cm
Introduction
This album is an early work by Li Shan, created during his years as a court painter, when his style was still marked by meticulous precision. The colors are rich yet well-balanced, the lines graceful and delicate. The ten paintings depict, in sequence: peach blossoms, peonies, silkworms on mulberry leaves, roses and wisteria, lotuses, crickets with hyacinth beans, cicadas with willows, banana plants, bamboo, and a bird calling from a willow branch. Together, they represent the beauty of all four seasons, subtly conveying the wish for “peace throughout the year.” Most of these works are painted in a realistic manner, with insects rendered in lifelike detail and flowers in vibrant yet tasteful colors, full of vitality. Three ink-wash pieces — Lotus, Banana Plant, and Bamboo — stand out for their atmospheric brushwork, simple yet refined.
At the end of the album are inscriptions by modern connoisseurs Xu Bangda and Xie Zhiliu, both offering high praise for the work.
