Flowers on the River

Handscroll; Ink and wash on paper; 641cm(width)*22cm(height) Flowers on the River, painted in the 16th year of Kangxi's reign, was the only long scroll that Bada Shanren painted. His paintings, poems, and calligraphies together make up a perfect, complete artistic system.This scroll's theme is the lotus. The ink splashes suggest leaves, while the calligraphic strokes depict blossoms and petals. With just a few strokes, a complex artistic conception is produced. Through the use of ink, a wide range of tonal effects is achieved, including wet, light, heavy, and dark tones in perfect combination. With his superb brush skills, Bada Shanren vividly depicts hills, rocks, streams, and driftwood. In addition, he successfully combines the use of thick and fine brushstrokes, curved and linear strokes, and dense and light ink to reach a perfect balance between empty and full. Different types of plants, such as grass, trees, bamboo, and orchids, are depicted in light ink. Heavy ink is incorporated to emphasize moss and grass, to present the interplay of solid and void, and to create a strong, dignified, solemn feeling. The waterfall presented at the end of the scroll suggests the turbulence of the artist's own life.