Combining Xu Beihong's near-abstract rendition of plantain leaves and a delicate praying mantis by Zhao Shao'ang, this work conveys an idealised representation of nature. Xu Beihong can be said to be the first Chinese artist to have successfully integrated Chinese painting and Western academic realism. Here, Xu achieves his aim of accurately portraying nature by adhering to the principles of Western realism while combining with the Chinese medium.Known for painting birds and flowers, Zhao's brushwork was inspired by the lyricism of the famous flower painters, Ju Lian (1828-1904) and Yun Shouping (1633-1690).
