White-Fronted Geese and Pied Wagtails

明代無名氏秺椿圖絹本痓綎

The genre of flower-and-bird painting reached its golden age during the Ming dynasty. Executed by a court artist, this colorful painting of geese and wagtails showcases a precision in rendering details, as if the artist had observed the scene in nature. This work exemplifies the court painting tradition associated with the former Southern Song dynasty (1127– 1279).

Professional painters of and outside the Ming court did not always sign their works. Not only does this make it difficult to assign paintings to individual artists, but it has historically made it easy for unscrupulous collectors and dealers to add false signatures in the attempt to raise the economic value of paintings from this time. On the other hand, many Ming dynasty paintings, like this hanging scroll, have survived because of attributions to earlier periods.