Chrysanthemums

The history of Chinese flower-and-bird painting up to the Tang dynasty (618–907) represents the artists’ gradual, cumulative mastery of description and expression. Two groups of artists dominated: the academy school and the literati (amateur scholar-painters). The first group worked mainly with descriptive line and color on silk. They pursued a meticulous, naturalistic rendering, a jewellike surface, and a sensuous appeal. This painting is a good example of this style. The chrysanthemum flowers in autumnal solitude was a favored motif among literati artists as well.

Guan Daosheng was an accomplished poet, painter, and calligrapher of the Yuan dynasty. Her husband, Zhao Mengfu (1254–1322), was one of the most influential scholars, painters, and calligraphers in Chinese history. Their second son, Zhao Yong, also became a famous painter and calligrapher.