Zhang Zhong, Yuan Dynasty
Ink and color on paper
96.4*46cm

Zhang Zhong specialized in landscape and flower-and-bird painting. This painting depicts the happy conjugal life of a pair of mandarin ducks on a lotus pond, gilt by the setting autumn sun. The mandarin duck is noted for its fidelity to its spouse and marries only once in its life. It is therefore considered a symbol of love and family life. "He", meaning lotus, and "he" meaning harmony are homophones in Chinese. The artist puts a pair of mandarin ducks in a lotus pond to wish the recipient of the painting a harmonious, happy family life. In a development of the Song tradition of drawing flowers and birds from life, the artist uses a variety of brushwork idioms to convey a strong sense of texture, but never loses the general orientation of vivid portrayal of objects.