Bamboo, Rock and Cymbidium

Bamboo, rock, and orchid are associated with the lofty ideals of the traditional scholar-gentleman, and they have been popular subjects and motifs in Chinese painting for hundreds of years. Because their vivid rendering depends on skillful control of the speed and movement of ink brushstrokes, bamboo and orchid paintings bear a close relationship to calligraphy, another visual art form favored by traditional scholars. In this example, scholar Ye Gongchao practiced his calligraphic skills and used energetic brushwork to render the straight bamboo stems, the rough texture of the rocks, and the curved orchid grasses. The refined image of these subjects aptly indicates Ye’s solid training in traditional calligraphy and his elegant mind as a scholar-gentleman.