Plum Blossoms —the herald of spring

Fragrant plum blossoms bloom earlier than any other flower, even in severe cold weather. In China, plum trees were often grouped together with pine trees and bamboo and referred to as the Three Friends of Winter. Bamboo and plum trees were also grouped with orchids and chrysanthemums and known as the Four Noble Plants. Since ancient times, plum blossoms have appeared in literature, and they have been favored as a painting subject by literati.

During the Song dynasty (960-1279), in addition to the sophisticated paintings in delicate colors which were produced mainly by court academy artists, ink-only paintings of plum trees emerged and became popular. Ink paintings of plum trees are said to have originated with Zen monk Huaguang Zhongren, who was inspired by the silhouette of a plum tree through a window on a moonlit night.

Later, Song Bojen produced Meifua Xishenfu, or "Album of the Joyful Spirit of Plum Blossoms" (Southern Song dynasty, 1238), which included a hundred paintings of plum blossoms in various stages - from budding to falling - with a poem attached to each. From the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) onward, plum blossoms as a subject became increasingly popular among literati.

Often used as an allegory for feminine beauty, plum blossoms have been depicted in a variety of ways over the centuries. This display features works, both in ink and color, by ink plum painters such as Wu Daisu from the Yuan dynasty, Liu Shiru from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), and those painted by Qing dynasty (1644-1912) artists including Jin Nong, who was known as one of Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou.