Neither the earth nor the flower’s roots are shown, but the blooming orchid, bud, and nine leaves seen here express a sense of growth and movement—thanks to Zheng Sixiao’s brushstrokes—that defies the otherwise static quality of this painting. The artist’s poem at left attests to his dismay at Mongol rule of China and describes Qu Yuan (340–278 b.c.e.), an earlier poet famed for his loyalty to China’s then-ruler. It reads: He was the fragrance of the state / His death was a great loss to it / His loyalty to Huai Wang never changed / He was the glory of Chu.

The painting bears inscriptions from the fourteenth to the twentieth century that track its ownership and appreciation. Owners and viewers of Chinese paintings often append their inscriptions and seals to works, particularly those in the handscroll format, to which additional sheets can easily be added.