Announcing the arrival of spring
1980
Medium
ink and pigments on paper
Measurements
131.5 × 68.4 cm (image and sheet)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Jason Yeap OAM in honour of Dr Mae Anna Pang Senior Curator of Asian Art National Gallery of Victoria through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, 2017
© Huang Yongyu
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
Huang Yongyu was imprisoned and persecuted during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) for his artistic endeavours. This work of an old Buddhist monk cuddling a young baby cat recollects the artist’s experiences during this difficult time. In the upper right corner of the painting is a poetic inscription that begins:
A Picture Announcing the Arrival of Spring. Spring calls the cat and the cat cries, spring listens The louder it cries the more alert it becomes The old monk has a cat but does not dare to utter a cry in front of others.
A poem by a certain old monk of the Song dynasty (970–1279), the year 1980, Huang Yongyu.