Lanterns at Spring Festival

In "Lanterns at Spring Festival," Gau Ye-hou chose a unique perspective from which to portray the Spring Festival (lunar new-year celebration). There are no bustling crowds of celebrants, nor scenes of family reunion banquets, only plum flowers, a lantern, and firecrackers. Simple and elegant, the plum flowers fill the picture; the colors are exquisitely fresh, the blossoms delineated with lines of black ink, creating an image of sparse, picturesque beauty. At the center of the picture, a lantern hangs high on a branch of the tree, shining like bright moonlight, hinting at the arrival of the holiday spirit. A string of firecrackers has been ignited, yet there is no trace of human presence. As a quiet prologue to the work, the inscription on the left reads, "Spring lanterns… the spring night," heralding the advent of a new year. Colors throughout are pure and refined, creating a joyful and harmonious ambiance. The painter uses expresses his emotions through scenery, indirectly suggesting the resurgence and renewal of all things.