Peter Valder gave us a guided tour of ‘Fragrant Space’, an exhibition of Chinese flower and bird paintings currently on display at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The paintings are on loan from the Guandong Provincial Museum, and are by major artists of the Ming and Qing dynasties (15th to early 20th centuries). Peter looked at a 16th century horizontal scroll which captures the subtle changes of the seasons in the budding, blooming and falling of blossoms. There are over a hundred paintings in the exhibition depicting plants that Chinese gardeners brought into cultivation and developed over hundreds, and in some cases thousands of years. Many of these plants, such as oranges, mandarins and wisteria, are old favourites in Australian gardens.
In China paintings of flowers and birds are admired for their beauty, but there is also a symbolic and allusive layering to each image. For example chrysanthemums are symbols of autumn, long life and high principles; a peony is the flower of summer, but also symbolises nobility and wealth; a wild swan epitomises unrestrained freedom. The plum blossom, pine and bamboo, all emblems of longevity and winter, are together known as ‘The Three Friends of Winter’, and symbolise independence of spirit, endurance and moral integrity.
Further information
The ‘Fragrant Space’ exhibition is at the Art Gallery of NSW until June 25. Open: 10am-5pm daily. Cost: $5
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney is holding guided walks to coincide with the exhibition. The walks depart from the Visitor Centre at 10am on Wednesdays and Fridays. Cost: $5 per person – bookings necessary on (02) 9231 8128.
Further reading
‘The Garden Plants of China’ by Peter Valder. (Florilegium, 1999, ISBN 1876314028). Cost: $80.
