Mynah Bird Preening Itself under the Willow Tree

According to the colophon, Zhu Da painted this work at the age of seventy-nine. A mynah bird is preening itself in the cold breeze. This imagery is a metaphor for the painter's own situation—living in isolation but unaffected by evil influences.
Zhu Da was the descendent of a branch of the Ming dynasty imperial clan. After the collapse of the Ming, he hid his identity and became a Buddhist monk. Eventually he broke down with an emotional crisis and led a secular life supporting himself through his painting and calligraphy. Most of his works communicate his loyalty to the Ming empire with symbols and allusions. However, as the Manchu Qing regime consolidated its rule across China, it seemed impossible to restore the former Ming. Zhu Da, old and ailing, turned his rage into disappointment. Adopting a simple, austere style, he produced works in his late years that tend to reveal his acceptance of his bitter experience and reality.