Four Ladies Gathering and Appreciating Blossoms

The idealized lifestyle of women was a popular theme shared by Chinese and Japanese artists. Paintings like this one typically depict beautiful and demure women of a high social class who wear fine clothing and accessories, situated in an intimate space. Such depictions were often drawn from artistic and literary traditions rather than from reality. Here, the ladies are appreciating plum blossoms in a private garden. Because plums flower in winter, it is widely considered as the symbol of endurance and virtue in East Asia, and the appreciation of plum blossoms is even associated with a noble personality. Throughout the history of Asian art and literature, appreciation of nature reflected upon one’s morality and aestheticism, and became a necessary skill for an elite learned person. - Chi-Lynn Lin, "Echoing Overseas" label text, Fall 2022