Sunday, April 5, 2009

Mandarin Ducks Frolicking in Water

Mandarin ducks (yuan yang), the proverbial symbol of lovebirds in the Chinese language, a model of marital fidelity and connubial bliss, are the subject of a popular Chinese idiom as titled and as portrayed below.

5 comments:

Jia said...

the head of the blue one can be biger.

Lee Wei Joo said...

The lotus seems to loom larger than life over the two mandarin ducks, yet it can also mean to say that the lotus is being protective of the two lovebirds. Either way I think the ducks should be in the foreground if they are to be the main stars of the painting. However, they are really a colorful bunch!

Lee Wei Joo said...

I might add, the painting of the two mandarin ducks symbolizes Mom and Dad's happy marriage perfectly, and the lotus, our family warmth and strength.

c.y. lee said...

I really really like the lotus leaves around the edge. I think I'd actually like it more without the little ducks; the depth of perception seems kind of weird. Which is not to say the birds are not painted well, just that without them I think the lotus flowers and leaves have a very nice modern aesthetic to themselves.

Say Lee said...

Well, to each his/her own.