Magpies and Wild Rabbits - Li Yong

A delicate Song Dynasty ink and colour painting on silk, depicting two rabbits and a pair of magpies in a natural setting.

This work, attributed to the Chinese painter Li Yong, represents the bird-and-flower tradition that flourished during the Song Dynasty. The composition focuses on a quiet, natural scene: two rabbits forage near a rocky outcrop, while two magpies perch on a gnarled branch above. The artist employs a restrained palette, relying on subtle ink washes and delicate brushwork to define the textures of fur, foliage, and stone.

The silk support has aged to a warm, neutral tone, which provides a soft background for the ink lines. The rabbits are rendered with attention to their posture, one alert and upright, the other lowered as it feeds. The magpies are positioned in the upper right, creating a diagonal balance that guides the eye across the frame. The presence of red collector seals indicates the historical provenance of the piece, marking its passage through various private collections over the centuries.

In this genre, the artist aims to capture the essence of the subjects rather than a literal, photographic record. The brushwork is precise, reflecting the technical discipline required for silk painting. The negative space is utilised to suggest the atmosphere of the environment, allowing the subjects to occupy the foreground without clutter. This print captures the muted tonality and the fine detail of the original silk, preserving the balance between the animal subjects and the natural elements. It is a representative example of the aesthetic values prevalent in thirteenth-century Chinese art, where observation of nature was combined with a formal, structured approach to composition.