Flowers of the Four Seasons  1800

Meticulously outlined and colored with a finely tapered brush, these multiseasonal flowers—including iris, peony, lotus, poppy, lily, narcissus, chrysanthemum, nandina berry, and plum—display a draftsman-like style mastered by court artists. The inscription on this painting attributes its image of floral abundance to Yongrong, the sixth son of the Qianlong emperor (r. 1735...