Wild geese | anonymous | 16th/17th century

This picture is signed with two stamps that cannot be read with certainty. Based on the style and the grey colour of the paper, the ink painting must have been created around 1600.  It is in good condition and the picture is perfectly remounted. 

Wild geese have long been a popular subject in Asia. The cry of the wild goose is a poetic topos for people who are lonely and long for their partner. The melancholy that fills such images with grey geese also includes elements of the environment. Dry reeds by a body of water convey sadness and loneliness.

Here two geese have found each other and are moving close together. The raised wing of one bird - probably the male - can be interpreted as a protective gesture, and the lowered gaze of the other bird as the reaction of the female. The subject of the grey geese, which comes from China, has been filled with emotions since early in history.

What is artistic about this work, which unfortunately remains anonymous, is the way in which the ink intensities are used. The male's feet, his wings and a single reed leaf are the darkest accents. They form a frame in which the intimacy of the two partners can unfold in delicate shades of grey. The feather structures are lively and sensitively designed.

The emptiness above the couple's heads remains pathetic. This allows one to enjoy the rhythm of the reeds painted with quick brush strokes and the sadness of the half-withered reeds in peace and without distraction.