Early Autumn (13th century), a well-known example of
bird-and-flower painting, a style of
Chinese painting where the subject is traditionally described to be "flowers, birds, fish and insects", which in reality allows the artist to deal with a wide range of natural topics. In this painting, the depiction of decaying
lotus leaves and
dragonflies hovering over stagnant water is likely a veiled criticism of
Mongol rule.
Artist: Qian Xuan