Approximate Measurements
Artwork Panel: 64.4cm x 64cm ≈ 25¼" x 25¼"
Silk/Brocade Border: 73.5cm x 73.3cm ≈ 29" x 28¾"
This painting features a pair of Mandarin ducks floating through patches of lotus flowers and lilies.
In Chinese culture, Mandarin ducks or 鴛鴦 represent a loyal and affectionate couple or a happily married couple.
The artist's title for this piece is 荷塘清趣 or "Hé Táng Qīng Qù"
For the translation:
Hé = Lotus
Táng = Pond
Qīng = Clear
Qù = Sentiment
Together, Qīng & Qù = Elegance
The characters after that read, 歲在丁酉年 which is an ancient way to indicate this was painted in 2017. The artist signed it, 袁野畫並記, or "Yuan Ye Painted". 畫 is a character that in this context means, "painted by". 並記 means "also written [by]".
Materials used are watercolors on handmade xuan paper. The painting was then mounted with a copper-brown-colored silk brocade matting/border.
This was hand painted by (Yuan Ye) who lives near Guilin in Southern China. Most of his paintings feature fish which are his specialty.