This painting depicts two hawks facing each other, perched on a snow-covered branch in the cold winter. In the upper-left portion of the painting, a pair of birds with white heads are fleeing in panic. The hawk on the right is staring up at them with piercing gaze while exposing its tongue through its pointed beak. The snow on the branches is expressed by dimly painting the surrounding area with light ink and leaving the
interior blank. Eagles or hawks in a desolate winter scene symbolize an unflinching hero facing adversity. White-headed birds embody an auspicious meaning of living a long life and growing old together until black hair turns gray.
The author of this painting, Lin Liang – a native from Guangdong Province, was one of the two most renowned bird-and-flower court painters along with Lü Ji (active 16th century) in the fifteenth century from the Jingtai era (1450–1456) through the Chenghua era (1465–1487) (during the Ming Dynasty). Lin was proficient at painting ink-and-wash birds and flowers. His mastery was particularly evident in raptors, such as an eagle and a hawk. This work aptly shows Lin’s characteristic modulation of the tones of ink and wash using the boneless technique (a method of painting subjects without outlines) and unrestrained brushwork applied to trees and rocks. He was highly prized by the literati for creating
paintings that focus on the meanings and spirit of the subjects rather than their forms.