Lotus
Artist
Fang Zhaoling
(Chinese, 1914 - 2006)
Date1978
MaterialsInk on paper
DimensionsH. 54 1/8 in x W. 26 3/4 in, H. 137.5 cm x W. 67.9 cm (image); H. 87 5/8 in x W. 31 9/16 in, H. 222.6 cm x W. 87.9 cm (overall)
Credit LineGift of the artist's children
Object number2005.22
DepartmentChinese Art
ClassificationsPainting
On View
Not on viewInscribedInscribed: Cyclical year wuwu (1978). I didn't feel well but after I painted this I felt a bit better. Fang Zhaoling [at] Kotewall Road.
More InformationThe lotus is a popular symbol of purity and healing in Chinese art. Ascending towards the sky, the lotus flower blooms out of murky waters in muddy ponds. Here, Fang Zhaoling applies ink washes of heavy and light tones to render the large leaves that support a white lotus flower, which emerges untouched high above. The artist inscribes that she feels better after depicting the lotus. Although she does not state the cause of her discomfort, painting and meditating on the lotus was a form of remedy to the artist and helped abate her melancholy. This painting was finished in Fang’s painting studio on Kotewall Road in Hong Kong, where she resided for many years.
