Dream of the Butterfly VIII (《夢蝶》 系列 8)

Gongbi brushwork captures a butterfly in rich, layered color against meticulously rendered botanical surroundings on silk. The inscribed couplet, 'The butterfly cannot carry dreams a thousand miles; the cuckoo cries through the midnight moon,' is among the most poignant in the series, pairing the butterfly's physical fragility with the vast distances of longing. As the eighth work in the nine-piece "Dream of the Butterfly" series, it explores the limits of the dream: some yearnings remain too far for even a butterfly to bridge.