Time-Travel Through Petals: The 2,000-Year-Old Art of Reading Nature’s Clock in Chinese Paintings

  • Artwork name
    The Twenty-Four Floral Winds
  • Author and dynasty
    Dong Gao (董诰) / Qing Dynasty (r. 1644–1911)
  • Dimensions
    One volume. 12-page, color on paper, main painting about 20×14.2 cm
  • Collection source
    National Palace Museum, Taipei
  • License
    Public Domain Content: Free for Personal & Commercial Use
  • Museum-Quality HD PDF, 15 pages, 98.1MB
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Artwork Author

Dong Gao (董诰)

Dong Gao (董诰), Qing Dynasty (r. 1644–1911), His courtesy name was Yalun and his pseudonym was Zelin. He was an important official and a giant in the court painting circle during the reigns of Emperor Qianlong and Emperor Jiaqing of the Qing Dynasty. He was born in Shuntian Prefecture, Beijing, and his ancestral home was Fuyang, Zhejiang. He was the eldest son of the Minister of Works, Dong Bangda. The father and son were called “Big Dong and Little Dong”, and they set an example of a family of calligraphy and painting in the Qing Dynasty. He inherited his family’s knowledge and studied the brushwork of the Song and Yuan Dynasties. He entered the Southern Study at a young age and served in four dynasties. He was promoted to the position of Grand Secretary of Wenhua Palace and Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince. He was in charge of the compilation of the “Complete Library of the Four Treasures”. He was highly trusted by Emperors Qianlong and Jiaqing for his “Confucian style”. His paintings integrate the strengths of the Southern and Northern schools, and are known for their landscapes. He is particularly good at capturing the subtleties of the natural time sequence with meticulous brushwork. His masterpiece “Twenty-four Flower Winds” is based on scientific observation and poetic brushwork. It condenses the changes of solar terms and the prosperity and decline of flowers in a square inch, and is known as the “Painting Version of the Monthly Order”. In his later years, he reformed the court painting academy and advocated “using ancient methods to depict modern scenes”, which influenced the Jiangnan School of Painting. He can be regarded as a key figure in the inheritance and development of Qing Dynasty literati painting.

Artwork Story

“Flower-Signal Wind” refers to the seasonal breeze that brings the message of blooming flowers. This exquisite album, titled “The Twenty-Four Floral Winds,” was painted by Dong Gao during the Qing Dynasty. Composed of twelve leaves featuring twenty-four paintings, it vividly portrays the eight solar terms—from Lesser Cold (Xiaohan) to Grain Rain (Guyu)—spanning roughly 120 days. Each solar term, lasting about fifteen days and subdivided into three five-day periods, is paired with a specific flowering plant (beginning with the delicate plum blossom and culminating with the stately chinaberry blossom).

According to the traditional Chinese calendar, the period from Lesser Cold to Grain Rain comprises eight solar terms over four months—approximately 120 days—divided into 24 segments (each segment representing five days). For each segment, a flower that most accurately embodies its blooming season is chosen to symbolize the “Flower-Signal Wind.”

These Twenty-Four Floral Winds begin with Xiaohan (Lesser Cold) in early January, progress through Dahan (Greater Cold) as the chill deepens, and then transition into Lichun (the Start of Spring) in early February—continuing until Guyu (Grain Rain), which marks the end of spring. By late April, the lingering cold gradually fades, giving way to nature’s awakening: all life revives, flowers bloom in profusion, and the landscape brims with vitality.

  • Xiaohan
  (1st period: Plum Blossoms; 2nd period: Camellia; 3rd period: Narcissus)
  • Dahan
  (1st period: Daphne; 2nd period: Orchid; 3rd period: Mountain Alum)
  • Lichun
  (1st period: Forsythia; 2nd period: Cherry; 3rd period: Hope for Spring)
  • Yushui
  (1st period: Rapeseed Blossoms; 2nd period: Apricot Blossoms; 3rd period: Plum Blossoms)
  • Jingzhe
  (1st period: Peach Blossoms; 2nd period: Flowering Quince; 3rd period: Rose)
  • Chunfen
  (1st period: Begonia; 2nd period: Pear Blossoms; 3rd period: Magnolia)
  • Qingming
  (1st period: Paulownia Blossoms; 2nd period: Wheat Blossoms; 3rd period: Willow Blossoms)
  • Guyu
  (1st period: Peony; 2nd period: Túmí; 3rd period: Chinaberry Blossoms)

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