Published March/April 2019 issue of ArtAsiaPacific. To read the full article, click here.
“In a painting by Qian Hui’an (1833–1911), two young boys share a white-fleshed watermelon. At their back is a rock wall; in front is another melon, this one unsplit, its curves mimicking the fluid lines of their embracing, huddled figures. The dress of one of the figures—a loose, red sash around the waist, the same shade as the scarlet of their lips—and a bamboo fan evoke the canicular heat . . .”