Mandarin Ducks and Lotus

Ren Bonian, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 1892

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Artist: Ren Bonian (Chinese, 1840–1896)
Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and colors on paper
Size: 149.8 × 40 cm (58 15/16 × 15 3/4 in.)
Museum: Art Institute of Chicago
Rights: CC0 — no rights reserved

Ren Yi was among the most successful and influential among Chinese painters of the so-called Shanghai School. Arriving in Shanghai in 1857, he took the artistic name “bonian” (one-hundred years), claiming that it would take him a century to achieve success. However, by 1875 Ren Yi was the best-known painter in Shanghai. His highly sought-after bird-and-flower paintings initially followed the Song dynasty (960–1279) convention of applying rich color fields within outlines, producing decorative patterning with lifelike representation. This painting represents his mature, more spontaneous style that is characterized by looser brushwork, more ink washes, and greater tonal variation.

Although his inscription states that Ren Yi executed this work in the winter “with a frozen ink stone,” he clearly depicted an early summer scene. Four large lotus leaves, brushed with wet-ink washes, overpower a pair of young, delicate blossoms. The aquatic lotus emerges with pristine beauty from murky water and thereby carries enduring associations with Buddhist beliefs in purity and rebirth. Above the lotus, partially camouflaged by wind-swept reeds, swims a pair of mandarin ducks—traditional symbols of marital bliss and fidelity. Painted with sharp, quick brush strokes, this engaging depiction of the young couple suggests an intimacy appropriate for lifelong partners.

Text: Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0.