Bird on an Apple Branch
Huang Ch'uan (ca. 903-965), Five Dynasties Period
Album leaf, ink and color on silk, 24.9 x 25.4 cm

A bird with a pink beak sits on the branch of an apple tree in this work. The sense of verve and lightness contrasts with and complements the round and heavy features of the apples, creating for an interesting close-up composition derived from nature. The leaves curl and twist here naturally as the artist used ochre colors and ink dots along with washes of yellow to show where the leaves were eaten and have aged.

This work traditionally has been attributed to the famous Five Dynasties painter Huang Ch'uan, but the style appears closer to that of the court manner associated with the Southern Sung. In fact, the composition is similar to that of Lin Ch'un's (fl. 1174-1189) "Birds Attracted by Fruit" now in the Peking Palace Museum. Thus, this work also provides evidence of the Sung dynasty custom of producing more than one version of the same painting.

This is the third leaf from the first album in "Garden of Treasures".