Auspicious Rooster

Inscribed by the artist:
Great Auspicious Picture. Mingde. 1989.

Even after the devastating years of the Cultural Revolution (1966û1976), Chinese artists have continued to portray traditional symbols of good fortune and happiness. Zhang MingdeÆs title for this work refers to his intent to depict a rooster since according to traditional Chinese belief, this animal is a symbol of yang (the masculine) in the yin and yang dichotomy. The Chinese term for a rooster crowing is a homonym for ôsuccess and fame.ö The rooster can ward off evil, including devouring the Five Noxious Creatures (the centipede, the scorpion, the snake, the toad, and the spider or salamander). The rooster has five virtues: It has civil culture because it wears a crown; it is a warrior because its spurs are forceful; it is brave because it confronts its enemies; it is benevolent because it communicates when it finds food; it is trustworthy because it tells the correct time through the night. In this painting the rooster is paired with a red flowering plum; the call of the rooster, which symbolizes the sun, ushers in a new day, while the plum is a sign of spring and the renewal of life.

ZhangÆs style recalls the works of the great modern painter Qi Baishi (1863û1957), who drew inspiration from folk art and excelled in depicting objects from everyday life. In fact ZhangÆs teacher Li Kuchan studied Chinese painting under Qi. Li advocated the integration of calligraphic techniques into painting. The color and ink in this work are bright and dense. Their intensity is offset by the large white space left in the center. The brushwork is bold and deliberate.