Ink and wash idyllic painting "Blowing at the Age of Faith - Returning to the Pasture in Xinjiao" (信口吹歲-辛丑牧归)

Paintings featured

1. Spiritual writing in traditional ink:
   • Blending of dryness and moisture: the shepherd boy’s clothes are outlined in light ink with a medium stroke, and the folds of his clothes are slightly chapped to show the simplicity of the painting; the cow’s body is chapped with burnt ink and dry strokes, the abdomen is left white to emphasize the sense of volume, and the hooves of the cow are in thick ink as if they were knocking against the earth, which is calm and thick.
   • Poetic rendering: the setting sun in the background is dyed in ochre from thick to light in the sky, and the birds are shaped by bone-less strokes, with lines of wings like calligraphic skimming, which forms the mood of “sound and scenery blending” with the inscription “piccolo without a cavity”.
2. This is an idyllic narrative of movement and stillness:
   • The shepherd boy sits horizontally on the back of a cow, holding his piccolo obliquely, his lips slightly opened as if playing, his eyebrows lowered as if intoxicated by the rhythm of the flute, his sleeves rolled in the wind, and his bare feet gently swaying and dyed with light ochre mud marks, showing the childishness of the countryside;
   • The old cow walks slowly with its head hanging down, the gnarled flesh and sinews are dyed with light ink to show its strength, and the cow’s tail is curled up to drive away the flies, which forms a visual rhythm of “motion against static” with the oblique swiping of the birds.

Detailed depiction

• Subtle portrayal of living beings and artifacts:
  • The shepherd boy and the piccolo: he wears a bamboo hat, the lines of which are closely woven with intersecting fine threads; he wears an ochre-red cloth belt around his waist, with a knot like a grass weave; the holes of the piccolo are painted with a fine brush, and the cracks on the body of the piccolo are sketched out with a “fly-white brush,” which is a metaphor for the fact that “the flute grows old as it ages, but its sound comes from the innocence of the sky. This is a metaphor for “the sound of the flute grows old with age, but the sound comes from innocence.
  • The old cow and the bird: the cow’s eyes are dotted with thick ink, and the corners of the eyes are slightly dyed with rouge to show the tame demeanor; the cow’s horns are chapped with burnt ink like the ancient wood, and the texture of the hooves and nails is presented with “crab claw chapping” to show the coarse traces of the footsteps; the wings of the bird are swept with light ink and bone marrow, and the shape is simple and concise, such as the leaping notes in the twilight.
• The inscription and the seal have a deep meaning:
  • The inscription in cursive script at the upper right of the picture is “Blowing in the year of Xinchou, the year of the decline of the courage and the return of the shepherd boy across the back of the oxen, the piccolo has no voice”, with a brushwork as strong as the autumn wind sweeping the leaves, and the inscription, “Shepherd’s Delight,” is inscribed with a vermilion seal, with a plain and clumsy seal cutting technique, and the ochre twilight and the red coat and belt make up the composition of The seal is engraved with a simple blade, forming the triad of “heaven, earth and man” with the ochre twilight color and the red belt;
  • The name “Xiaoyong” may be a unique expression of the author’s alias or the year of his creation (we suggest checking the author’s biography), and it conceals the self-mockery of the literati or the metaphor of time.

Artistic Value

1. A contemporary continuation of the literati’s idyllic paintings:
   • It adopts the poetic meaning of Lei Zhen’s “Evening in the Village”: “The shepherd boy returns and crosses the back of the ox”, inherits the realistic brushwork of Li Di’s “Cattle Herding” from the Southern Song Dynasty, and reproduces the layered sense of classical ink and watercolor by using “burnt ink to write the bones of the ox, and bone-less coloring of the twilight clouds”;
2. Philosophical translation of farming aesthetics:
   • The piccolo’s “no accent” alludes to Zhuangzi’s “heavenly music is invisible”, and the old ox with its head hanging down symbolizes “virtue carries things”, sublimating the rural scene into the philosophy of “the unity of heaven and man”. The old ox with its head hanging down symbolizes the “virtue of carrying things”, sublimating the countryside scene into the philosophical pattern of “unity of heaven and man”;
3. Emotional resonance across time and space:
   • The picture conveys the universal value of “cherishing time and returning to the basics” through the heart of the shepherd boy and the warm colors of the birds at sunset, awakening the yearning for the idyllic pastoral songs in the contemporary urban life.

Suitable Scene

• Living room/study: framed as an antique vertical scroll, displayed together with wooden furniture and celadon tea ware, creating an immersive idyllic mood of “flute sound through the forest, the mind follows the shadow of the cow”;
• Tea room/cultural space: with bamboo curtains and ceramic pots, the picture of twilight and the aroma of tea mingle to sublimate the literati’s interest in “living in idleness and nourishing the mind”;
• Children’s room/educational institution: the innocent image of the pastoral children can inspire children’s interest and convey the concept of “nature and growth”.

Purchase

1. Framing suggestions:
   • Traditional: Indigo damask vertical scroll with ebony shaft head, reinforcing the ancient charm of ink and wash;
   • Modern style: light gray linen backing with matte black aluminum frame, suitable for new Chinese style and minimalist space.
2. Conservation Guide:
   • Moisture and light: storage humidity is less than 60%, avoid direct sunlight leading to yellowing of the paper;
   • Dust and moisture: regularly sweep the picture with a soft brush, and store the work in a constant temperature and humidity cabinet;
   • Anti-folding: the scrolls should be wrapped in acid-free cotton paper and placed upright in a brocade box.
   • Wipe the dust lightly with a soft-bristled brush.

**✨ Core Highlights**

• Sound and scenery: the piccolo’s “no accent” is expressed through the loose posture of the shepherd boy and the inscription of the wild grass, which makes the viewer “like hearing the flute rhyme” in the quietness;
• Literary code: the inscription “Decaying Courage” may be a self-deprecation of the literati (“Decaying” means “Demoiselle”, a metaphor for seclusion), adding interest to the interpretation;
• Philosophy of color: the collision of warmth and coldness between the red dress and the ochre twilight color symbolizes that the “fire of childhood innocence” will never be extinguished in the course of time.

Collector’s significance
With ink as a string and a cow as a boat, “Let’s Blow at the Age of Faith – Returning to the Pasture in Xinchou” carries a piece of flute with no accent through the twilight fields. When the bare feet of the cowherd boy gently point at the back of the cow, and when the inscription of the Xinchou year is solidified as a motto of the time, this painting is not only a condensation of technique, but also an eternal love letter to the countryside and the childlike innocence. Hanging this painting can turn the room into a spiritual dwelling where “the sound of flute falls on the ground and the heart is at peace with the countryside”, guarding a piece of pastoral autumnal colors in the hustle and bustle of the world.