Bamboo branches by Wang Zhubu

1. A painting is a thing of interest in itself, not because of what it depicts. To insist on an accurate resemblance would be letting poets report only what they hear. Painters aren’t making birds or flowers, but something elegant that makes us think. It’s hard to believe a touch of red can say so much about springtime. 2. Wang Zhubu painted two broken bamboo branches like Buddhist hermits, hermit blossoms like two young girls. Two finches shake rain from their feathers, perched on a branch with cherry blossoms. When they fly off, rain showers from the branches. Bees hover with pollen on their legs. When you observe closely, the value comes naturally. The effect of the art isn’t on the paper or in words that disappear in the air.