The Soul of an Egret: A Cultural and Ethical Analysis of “Gibbons Raiding an Egret’s Nest”
Faculty Mentor
Christopher C. Kirby
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
5-7-2024 11:10 AM
End Date
5-7-2024 11:30 AM
Location
PAT 340
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Philosophy
Abstract
The 12th century Song dynasty painting “Gibbons Raiding an Egret’s Nest” is not the most well known painting, and brief writings about it are concerned primarily with the rebus in the image as an example of clever Chinese wordplay. However, while the pun of the image is a form of linguistic storytelling linked with the visual art, a closer examination reveals more layers to the painting. The egret’s natural existence as a pure-white bird inspired a literary symbolism throughout poetry of earlier dynasties, and so the choice of this avian subject holds more than just its pun potential. Additionally, the Song dynasty held a renewed interest in Confucianism, and examining the story of “Gibbons Raiding an Egret’s Nest” through Confucian virtues adds complex elements to the painting. The story of the egret, then, is many-layered, with two distinct and conflicting sides: the good luck and congratulations of the rebus pictured on this small fan affixed to an album page; the other, the story of an egret (with all the symbolism egrets hold) alone that should not be alone, while roving monkeys stealing her children. Song dynasty artists created paintings with attention not just to the physical craft but also in understanding the true nature of the artwork, and thus even “Gibbons Raiding an Egret’s Nest” contains a complex story of the winds of fate on the life of the virtuous person.
Recommended Citation
Browning, Irie, "The Soul of an Egret: A Cultural and Ethical Analysis of “Gibbons Raiding an Egret’s Nest”" (2024). 2024 Symposium. 6.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2024/op_2024/o5_2024/6
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
The Soul of an Egret: A Cultural and Ethical Analysis of “Gibbons Raiding an Egret’s Nest”
PAT 340
The 12th century Song dynasty painting “Gibbons Raiding an Egret’s Nest” is not the most well known painting, and brief writings about it are concerned primarily with the rebus in the image as an example of clever Chinese wordplay. However, while the pun of the image is a form of linguistic storytelling linked with the visual art, a closer examination reveals more layers to the painting. The egret’s natural existence as a pure-white bird inspired a literary symbolism throughout poetry of earlier dynasties, and so the choice of this avian subject holds more than just its pun potential. Additionally, the Song dynasty held a renewed interest in Confucianism, and examining the story of “Gibbons Raiding an Egret’s Nest” through Confucian virtues adds complex elements to the painting. The story of the egret, then, is many-layered, with two distinct and conflicting sides: the good luck and congratulations of the rebus pictured on this small fan affixed to an album page; the other, the story of an egret (with all the symbolism egrets hold) alone that should not be alone, while roving monkeys stealing her children. Song dynasty artists created paintings with attention not just to the physical craft but also in understanding the true nature of the artwork, and thus even “Gibbons Raiding an Egret’s Nest” contains a complex story of the winds of fate on the life of the virtuous person.
