Jane Hartley Fine Art

WILD SWANS is about quiet strength and resilience. 

The Blessing:

May you count the garden by the flowers, never by the leaves that fall. And may you count your life with smiles and not the tears that roll.

The Legend:

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China 

The book Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China is a family history that spans the 20th  century in China, recounting the lives of three female generations.  Written by Jung Chang, it was first published in 1991 and banned in China.  Wild Swans contains the biographies of her grandmother and her mother, and her own autobiography.

Born in 1909, her grandmother was considered a great beauty and her most noted assets were her bound feet, referred to as “three inch golden lilies.  At the age of fifteen, she became the concubine of a warlord general. Her mother, born in 1931, struggled as a young idealistic Communist.  Chang writes of her parents’ experiences as members of the Communist elite and their ordeals during the Cultural Revolution.  And the author, Jung Chang, born in 1952, recounts her own story from her birth in China, growing up as a member of the Red Guard, and moving to Britain in 1978, where she lives today.  Chang is the first person from the People’s Republic of China to receive a doctorate from a British university.

The twentieth century could rightly be called an era of violence in China, and the lives of each of these remarkable and beautiful women were touched by brutality.  Displaying courage and bravery, they survived “a century of disaster” because they are swans, not swallows.  The book won two awards: the 1992 NCR Book Award and the 1993 British Book of the Year.  It has been translated into 30 languages and has sold over 10 million copies.

The Symbolism:

 This story of three generations of incredible women is an unusual window on the female experience in the modern world, and a tale of courage and love.

The peony is the national flower of China and known as “the queen of flowers”.  Peonies are often depicted in Chinese art, as they are an emblem of peace, stability, distinction and wealth.  They also symbolize love, affection and feminine beauty.  White peonies traditionally symbolize young girls who are distinguished mainly by their wit and also by their beauty.

The Grace of the Swan symbolizes love, grace, purity, beauty and sincerity.  It is associated with a saying of Confucius which says, “The little swallows living under the eaves wouldn’t understand the lofty ambitions of a swan who flies far and wide”. The Confucius quote has led to an idiomatic expression in China that means “think big with the lofty ambitions of a swan”.  Chinese people sometimes refer to the “little swallow” as one who does not think “big”, but is, instead, stuck in a rut or leading a mundane life.  Therefore it’s a compliment to be called a swan, but not a swallow.

Ladder To The Clouds explores the little known Chinese custom of accomplishment and achievement which is recognized by mandarin rank squares.  And Treasures of China presents a portrait of a country and civilization that has fascinated outsiders for ages through its arts and achievements.