Template:POTD/2009-08-18
Early Autumn (13th century), a well-known example of bird-and-flower painting, a style of Chinese painting where the subject is traditionally described to be "flowers, birds, fish and insects", which in reality allows the artist to deal with a wide range of natural topics. In this painting, the depiction of decaying lotus leaves and dragonflies hovering over stagnant water is likely a veiled criticism of Mongol rule.Artist: Qian Xuan