Ink Flowers
1361
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1361
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see three flowers—lily, narcissus, peony—drawn in black ink on paper. No color, just delicate lines and soft gray washes. Zhao Zhong was trained as a doctor, not a court painter. That might explain why he picked these three plants: together, they don’t match any known seasonal or symbolic group from his time. He also broke tradition by leaving out color, even though bright flowers were the norm. To see how ink can shape a flower, look up *sfumato*.
