How Heavy!

Hsu Yuan-fu's daughters are the subjects of this work. Two small children, one on the left and one on the right, are carrying a water bucket with plump infant ensconced in it. On the left, the little girl's mouth is opened wide, her tongue sticking out, and she seems to be gasping for air, the effort more than she is up to. On the right, the boy's head is lowered, his legs pressed together for support as if he is unable to take another step. Only the baby girl in the bucket is at ease. Her hands clutching the pail's rim, she gazes serenely ahead, like a princess touring her realm, oblivious to her retinue's labors. Aside from the display of sibling affection, the picture's charm lies in the sincerity of children's expressions. Presumably, Hsu was following the kids step by step as they carried the bucket. A moving portrait of the sentiment existing between caretakers and cared for, the photo won a major award at Japan's Olympus Million Platform Memorial Photography Competition, and is part of the collections of the National Taiwan Museum of Modern Art and the Kaohsiung Municipal Art Museum.