18 August 2009

ART AS COMMENTARY

this description appears in today's wikipedia online:

Early Autumn (13th century), a well-known example of bird-and-flower painting, a style of chinese painting where the subject is traditionally described to be "flowers, birds, fish and insects", which in reality allows the artist to deal with a wide range of natural topics. in this painting, the depiction of decaying lotus leaves and dragonflies hovering over stagnant water is likely a veiled criticism of mongol rule.

(please click on the image to enlarge for full effect.)


No comments:

Post a Comment