Lilac and Calligraphy

Although Bada Shanren occasionally painted lilacs, the flower lies outside his normal repertory of botanical subjects. It is also highly unusual that Bada painted the plant's leaves and blossoms in such deep, opaque colors; only one similar work by him is known, perhaps created for the same album from which only these two leaves still survive. The calligraphy inscription on the facing leaf reads: "Spring of the gengwu year [1690], imitating the painting style of Baoshan [Lu Zhi, 1496-1576]. Bada Shanren."

Lu Zhi, whose sobriquet was Baoshan, is primarily known as a landscape painter but was also famed for his sensitive flower studies, which generally bear little resemblance in style or execution to the current painting leaf. As is often the case with Bada Shanren, the precise basis for his assertion of stylistic affinity with a particular artist remains elusive. Under his signature on the calligraphy, Bada also impressed a unique seal that not only depicts a mountain but may also be read as the Chinese character for "mountain," thereby creating a truly striking and original addition to his composition.