| In this "Lotus and Mandarin Ducks", the composition and layout are derived from Bada. The comical rendering of the mandarin ducks and the frogs has the child-like na?vete of Qi Baishi, and the animated scene has the spirit of Wu Changshuo. The famous "frog" is invented by Ding: a few brushstrokes, a splash of ink and a few dots and touch-ups here and there, and viewers have a gaping froggy staring at them. It shows that though there is the evident influence of Bada Shanren in Ding's ink paintings of the flower-and-bird theme, he did not stop at the mere level of formal emulation. |
