Flowers and Birds
Li Ming
Artwork Details
Artwork Description
Title: Flowers and Birds
Artist: Li Ming
Date: n.d.
Medium: Ink and color on paper
Dimensions: 18.9 x 19.7 in (48 x 50 cm)
1. Artwork Identification
Li Ming’s Flowers and Birds presents an elegantly balanced composition rendered in ink and color on paper. The piece features blooming branches bursting with soft pink blossoms, accompanied by two bees in mid-flight—symbols of vitality and harmony in traditional Chinese painting. The work also integrates expressive calligraphy and artist seals, framing the natural motifs within a broader poetic context.
2. Artistic Style and Influences
This painting reflects the hallmarks of the Chinese flower-and-bird (花鸟画) tradition, drawing from classical models while infusing modern brush energy. The confident ink strokes, controlled washes, and subtle color accents show the influence of literati painting as well as the Lingnan School’s emphasis on liveliness and atmospheric depth. The bees, captured with charming precision, add both narrative and dynamism to the composition.
3. Historical Context
Undated yet stylistically grounded in 20th-century ink painting, this piece continues a lineage that flourished across dynasties—from Song naturalism to Qing refinement. The inclusion of fauna and flora, accompanied by verse, situates the painting within a long-standing tradition of unity between painting, poetry, and calligraphy, embodying ideals central to Chinese visual culture.
4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.
5. Condition and Conservation
The work is preserved in very good condition, with no visible damage, creasing, or discoloration. The ink remains rich and expressive, and the pigments are vivid and stable. The seals and inscription are well preserved, with no evidence of restoration.
6. Artistic Significance
Li Ming’s Flowers and Birds encapsulates the serenity and poetic refinement of the classical Chinese ink tradition. Its technical elegance and symbolic motifs offer both contemplative depth and decorative appeal. This work holds significance for collectors interested in modern continuations of historic painting genres, and it would be a valuable acquisition within any Chinese or East Asian art collection.