This is a beautiful Chinese water-painting of the bird-and-flower genre, though it depicts insects flying around a dying lotus. This is a painting by Qian Xuan, a painter from the late Song dynasty and early Yuan dynasty, sometime in the 13th century. The Yuan dynasty was a time when Mongols ruled China, and Xuan was a Chinese loyalist, his paintings reflecting a longing for native Chinese rule. This painting reflects his views through the decaying lotus flower and stagnant waters. Dragonflies that represent peace and harmony hover above the decaying lotus, a symbol of purity and beauty, but here is representing China under Mongolian rule. This painting is for viewing pleasure, and not many would have seen it in the painter’s time. This painting was most likely a lament for Xuan himself, and his close friends, then a public painting. The symbology of the painting is something that would have been understood by the people of the time, in their culture. I believe that the painter accomplished his goal to portray his views on Mongolian rule through a beautiful water-painting, using the decaying lotus, but I feel that in modern times, where not many understand the culture nor background of this painting, the message is missed.
This painting is currently displayed at the Detroit Institute of Arts
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