Sunflower (Autumn Colors after the Rain)

The artist Chao Shao-an had fond memories of sunflowers he had seen in Nanjing, as the flowers had grown to more than ten feet in height. The flowers in Guangdong province, according to the artist, were only three feet tall.

In this painting, the flower—heavily laden with seeds—bends its heavy head. The squawking bird adds a whimsical touch, and light-colored grass shows a fine use of the dry brush technique.

The inscription reads:

Today the flower withers
Tomorrow the flower blooms
The opened flower faces the sun
The fallen flower withers on the green moss
Indeed this is no common plant
Like a clock it revolves for many days.
Guisi year [1953], early autumn
Chao Shao-an at the Lingnan Art Studio