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Peony Flower with Poem

The Story

Peony Flower with Poem by Fan Wei

China: Qing Dynasty, watercolor on paper

The poem in this painting roughly translates to:

 Ode to Peony

I used the brush to praise the blooming peony

A cocoon-like bud bursting forth to beautiful flowers

Who said the peony is like a maid

Her scent and beauty makes the noble palace so inspiring, like a spring breeze.

Inscribing poems on paintings gave a more in-depth view of the artist’s feelings rather than what a painting alone could offer.