" Nature, Feeling and Attitude"

The painter should know the nature of his subject, fathom its feeling, and observe its manner and statute, before he can strain the state of subtle ingenuity. If he paints a landscape, he must understand that the disparity in the climate and soil of the south and the north is responsible for the striking difference between their respective trees and plants. For the same reason, everything has a particular manner of its own, be it the formation of rocks, the branching out of brought, the germination of leaves or what else. In case of painting flowers, those, which take to sunshine, must need face an erect poise, those preferring the shade a delicate appearance. Their manners, of course, are poles apart. As intrinsic nature determines disposition, so disposition dictates manner and attitude, which in turn, gives expression to their disposition. That is the way of Nature. Let us take the painting of plum blossoms for instance, with reference to the immortal lines by the famous poet-recluse Lin Ho-ching of the Tang Dynasty: "As mirror in shoal water clear, its image lies aslant and sparse; as moon through shady twilight peeps, its fragrance faintly floats and stirs." In these lines the poet holds up the mirror to the nature of the plum blossoms. Another poet, Yang Tied-yai, sings of the same flower in a different light: "While myriad flowers dare not brave the snow, one tree in blossoms leaves the world behind. Here the poet identifies his own feeling either that of his subject which, in poetry as in art, is the truth and the only truth. But it takes yet another poet, Kao Chi-ti, to depict the form and attitude of the plum blossoms: " Like hermit proud at rest in snowbound hills, or lovely belle's advent in moonlit woods. This couplet reflects not only the form and attitude of the plum blossoms as they are personified in the poet's concept, but their character as well.