Artwork Description

Title: Mandarin Duck Playing Lotus Figure
Artist: Mo Xiong
Date: n.d.
Medium: Ink and watercolour on paper
Dimensions: 27.2 x 54.3 in (69 × 138 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
In Mandarin Duck Playing Lotus Figure, Mo Xiong presents a lush tableau of lotus blooms and foliage surrounding a pair of mandarin ducks—a traditional Chinese symbol of marital fidelity and enduring love. Executed on paper with sweeping washes of watercolor and intricate ink detailing, this piece immerses the viewer in a vibrant wetland scene where color and texture flow in rhythmic harmony.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
The work showcases Mo Xiong’s signature fusion of Chinese brush painting and expressive Western color fields. While the lotus—a venerated motif in Chinese art—anchors the composition in cultural symbolism, the iridescent palette and layered strokes evoke a sense of abstract modernity. His treatment of the ducks is delicate yet stylized, balancing naturalistic form with expressive embellishment.

3. Historical Context
The mandarin duck has been a consistent emblem in Chinese culture, particularly in literati and folk art traditions, where it symbolizes conjugal affection and harmony. Mo Xiong, working in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, reinterprets this symbol through a contemporary lens, capturing the essence of tradition within a bold, experimental aesthetic aligned with China's modern art movement.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The work exhibits light creasing consistent with traditional scroll handling and storage. These do not detract from the visual or structural integrity of the piece. Overall, it remains in very good condition.

6. Artistic Significance
This composition stands as a quintessential example of Mo Xiong’s creative voice—where symbolism, natural beauty, and painterly innovation converge. The emotional resonance of the mandarin ducks, paired with the radiant vitality of the lotus garden, makes this piece not only an aesthetic triumph but also a poetic meditation on fidelity and renewal.