Wildflower (Orchid)

Artist Hung Liu (American, born China, 1948–2021)

Date1999 (January 6, 1999-May 6, 1999)

MediumFive-color lithograph on soft white Somerst with aluminum gold leaf and collaged color copies of old Chinese stamps

DimensionsImage: 22 5/8 x 15 3/4 inches (57.5 x 40 cm);
Sheet: 25 x 29 inches (63.5 x 73.7 cm)

ClassificationsPrints

Credit LineAcquired through the generosity of Truman W. Eustis III, Class of 1951

Terms

Prints
Chinese

Object number99.118.001

Label CopyHung Liu was trained in both Chinese and Western painting traditions. In this series, she pasted old Chinese stamps on lithographs and painted birds in ink on top of the collages. Her depiction of birds reveals her knowledge and skills in Chinese painting. Some of the ink dripped down the picture, creating a sense of nostalgia, as if this is an image of a faded memory. Liu was known to incorporate photography and mixed media to her work, along with her ability to paint photorealistic portraitures. Here, Hung Liu centers portraits of anonymous prostitutes, and through her rendering, the women appear to be dignified and elegant. Hung Liu explained, “My subjects in the prints are anonymous people—the ones who fight in the wars and provide food for us. They are not remembered for ‘making history’ as world leaders are, but to me they are true makers of history.”