Second of Ten Leaves from the Album of Ink Plum Blossoms (墨梅冊十開之二)

This painting is one of ten leaves from The Album of Ink Plum Blossoms by the young artist Wang Yi. Using ink, he skillfully depicts intertwining plum branches in full bloom. The composition is elegant and airy, with a harmonious balance between strength and grace. The interplay of wet and dry brushstrokes gives the branches a robust energy, while the blossoms appear delicate and pure, capturing both the vitality and quiet beauty of early spring. The inscription features a poem by Wang Mian, a renowned Yuan dynasty painter and poet, which reads: "In Jiangnan, the snow melts and spring returns; By the eastern and western streams, plum blossoms bloom. The recluse, stirred by this scene, writes poems with deep feeling, And from time to time, leans on his cane, bringing wine." This poem evokes the purity and resilience of the plum blossom, a traditional symbol of integrity and solitude in Chinese culture. Wang Yi’s painting, in harmony with the classical verse, not only inherits the spirit of literati painting but also infuses it with his personal sensibility. This work is a refined and poetic expression of contemporary ink art grounded in tradition.