Chrysanthemums

Yun Shouping (1633–1690)'s Chrysanthemums (ca. 17th century, leaf from Album of Flowers and Landscapes) is an ink and color album leaf featuring abundant clusters of chrysanthemums in a spectrum of hues—vibrant yellows, soft pinks, warm oranges, pristine whites, and subtle purples—interwoven with delicate, feathery green leaves and buds, executed in the boneless (mogu) style through fluid color washes devoid of outlines. The blooms cascade dynamically from the center, their layered petals and varied tones creating a lush, harmonious autumnal bouquet against a spare ground.

Artistic and Social Context

Created during the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), this piece embodies Yun’s mastery of floral subjects as a scholarly diversion, shaped by his merchant heritage and exclusion from the imperial examinations, which steered him toward artistic innovation over bureaucratic paths. Reviving the boneless method from Song dynasty predecessors like Xu Chongsi, it forms part of a collaborative album with Wang Hui’s landscapes, blending poetry, calligraphy, and seals in a format cherished by literati circles. As a cornerstone of the Changzhou School, it fuses archaic techniques with Yun’s fresh sensibility, promoting flower painting as a vehicle for ethical reflection and aesthetic delight in the post-conquest cultural landscape.

Interpretation and Meaning

Chrysanthemums evoke the essence of autumnal resilience and scholarly retreat in Chinese symbolism—representing longevity, purity, and the eremitic ideal of Tao Yuanming—amid the cycle of seasons. Yun’s palette, with golden yellows for enduring vitality, rosy pinks for gentle elegance, and cooler whites for serene detachment, embodies his "feeling taking" (qu qing) principle, infusing emotional depth: the profusion of blooms suggests joyful abundance tempered by transience, while veined leaves ground the composition in quiet fortitude. The seamless washes unite the flowers into a living tapestry, urging contemplation of moral steadfastness and the harmonious passage of time.

Size

The original size of Yun Shouping’s Chrysanthemums is 28.5 × 43.0 cm (11 1/4 × 16 15/16 inches).