博
Artist: Zhao Puchu
Date: Modern
Material: Ink on paper
In the spring of 1962, at the National Conference of Scientific Work and the Forum on Drama, Opera, and Plays for Children, which were held in Guangzhou, Premier Zhou Enlai addressed the issue of intellectuals. Vice Premier Chen Yi then delivered a stirring speech to dispel negative perceptions of Chinese intellectuals. Chen's resonant words invigorated the academic and literary circles, like gentle spring rain. In April, at a meeting of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, Zhao Puchu listened attentively to Ke Ling who conveyed the premiers' speeches. Deeply moved, he wrote this qü poem, Myriad Flowers, using 'boundless spring scenery' to symbolize the ethos of the new era, and to express his hopes and delight. In 1985, at the age of seventy-nine, he rewrote this work, demonstrating his mastery of calligraphy through rounded, flowing brushwork.
