Jackdaws and wild geese

Artist Bio
A native of Guangzhou, Lin Liang entered the court as a painter and was quickly promoted to Commander of the Imperial Bodyguard, the highest rank a court painter could achieve. In his early years, he had studied landscape painting under his fellow villager Yan Zong and figure painting under He Yin. Adept at painting flowers and birds in ink with spontaneous yet forceful and expressive brushstrokes, Lin drew heavily for his technique on the styles of the Southern Song Chan (Zen in Japanese) painters Liang Kai and Muxi. As a bird-and-flower painter, Lin Liang enjoyed equal fame with Lü Ji.
Description
The jackdaws and wild geese in this hanging scroll are portrayed in a natural setting of rock and withered wood. By depicting the energetic and lively movement of the birds with a bold and expressive brushwork, Lin successfully conveys the charming vitality of his subjects. Following the style of the Southern Song Painting Academy, he employs “axe-cut” strokes and the ink wash technique to depict the rock and the wood.
—Xubaizhai Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art
More information
Hong Kong Museum of Art