Three Friends of Winter [left of a pair] by Yamamoto Baiitsu

Three Friends of Winter [left of a pair] c. 19th century

watercolor

water colours

impressionism

asian-art

landscape

watercolor

botanical art

watercolor

Yamamoto Baiitsu painted this image on paper, depicting the Three Friends of Winter. These friends – pine, plum, and bamboo – are venerated in East Asian art as symbols of resilience, longevity, and perseverance. The plum blossom, with its delicate beauty, has always captured the attention of artists and poets alike. Its appearance in early spring symbolizes renewal, a visual echo of hope amidst the starkness of winter. We find similar symbols across cultures: think of the olive branch in ancient Greece, also representing hope and rebirth. The enduring appeal of the plum blossom lies in its ability to tap into our collective longing for reassurance. It connects us to the natural world, reminding us of the cyclical nature of life and the promise of renewal that lies dormant, waiting for the right moment to unfurl.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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In East Asia, pine, bamboo, and plum are known as the “three friends of winter.” In addition to their individual auspicious connotations—chaste pine, upright bamboo, and pure plum—each of these three plants is also celebrated for remaining vigorous even during winter and adding color to an otherwise lifeless landscape. They thus represent the Confucian ideal of tenacity in spite of adversity. Yamamoto Baiitsu’s paintings show his familiarity with the colorful, detailed mode of bird-and-flower painting popularized by Shen Nanpin (1682–1758), an influential Chinese painter briefly active in Japan. In this pair of screens, decorative qualities are balanced with a sense of order and clarity: the rough bark of the plum provides a textural foil to the blossoms, while the arching form of the pine is mirrored in the flow of the stream.