Shrike Among Autumn Leaves

Zhang Daqian's inscription on this work states that he painted "a happy red bird on the frosty persimmon leaves" on the lunar "double ninth"—the ninth day of the ninth month by the lunar calendar. In the traditional Chinese calendar, this is a time when the so-called male (yang) principal is at its apex. On that day people celebrate the Yang Festival by donning medicinal herbs, picnicking at the top of a mountain, drinking chrysanthemum wine, and eating a special cake.

The persimmon, a fall-winter fruit commonly found in the north, is regarded as a symbol of good luck. It is accompanied here by the "happy red bird," both subjects painted with a deliberate stiffness of line in a palette of oranges and reds. Rather than bemoan the coming winter, Zhang used these techniques to capture a joyful acceptance of the passage of seasons.