This renowned painting originates from the Southern Song Dynasty and is titled “Loquats and Mountain Bird,” crafted by the artist Linchun.
Executed on silk with vibrant pigments, the painting measures approximately 26.9cm in height and 27.2cm in width. It currently resides within the Palace Museum in Beijing.
The artwork portrays the scenery of southern China during May, showcasing luxuriant loquat leaves and ripe fruits that gleam like gold and precious gems in the summer sunlight, emitting an enchanting allure. Gracefully poised on a branch, an animated embroidery eye bird extends its sharp, slender beak, its focus fixed on the ant moving across the loquat. The vivid and intricate composition infuses the painting with a profound sense of vitality.
The artist employs meticulous brushwork to vividly capture the forms of flowers, fruits, birds, and insects. The bird’s delicate and elegant physique, its sleek feathers, and the intense gaze of its eyes, unwaveringly directed at the ant, are all rendered with remarkable precision. Even the minuscule ant, as small as a pinprick, is depicted with clarity in its head, tail, and legs, as if it were joyfully savoring the fruit juice. This level of refined and intricate craftsmanship magnificently showcases the author’s adeptness in capturing the essence of life through the medium of art.
I have recreated the painting using watercolor on paper and incorporated calligraphy into the piece.
