Wild Geese among Reeds, Album Leaves
Bian Shoumin
Qing Dynasty
- MEDIUM:Ink and color on paper
- FORMATS:Album of ten leaves
- DIMENSIONS:Height 23 cm; Width 30 cm
Introduction
This album was created when Bian Shoumin, aged fifty-seven, had returned to his hometown of Huai’an to live in seclusion. It consists of ten leaves in total, with “Ink-splashed Reeds and Wild Geese” occupying five of them. The remaining five depict peonies, reeds with geese, grapes, withered lotuses, crabs, lotus roots, water chestnuts, loquats, and osmanthus, rendered with vitality, elegance, and delightful charm. At the beginning of the album, his close friend Gao Fenghan inscribed the characters Huoqu (“Lively Interest”), a phrase carrying two meanings: firstly, to praise the album’s spirited, life-filled brushwork that demonstrates Bian’s mastery; and secondly, to highlight that all the subjects depicted are drawn from everyday life, rich in domestic appeal.
Bian Shoumin was naturally modest and uncompetitive, indifferent to fame and fortune. While drawing inspiration from the tradition of classical literati painting, he employed a calm mindset, everyday subjects, and seemingly simple brushwork to create artworks of understated elegance and refined simplicity, free from worldly distractions.
