It is "Orchid and bamboo are like grass and grass"; it comes from "Poetry on Bamboo and Orchid" written by Zheng Banqiao, a famous calligrapher and painter in the Qing Dynasty. The original text is as follows:
I have been studying ink by the pond every day. Fendai goes to compete for beauty.
You must know that painting is the same as calligraphy, and orchids and bamboos are as natural as grass.
The main idea of ??the poem
I grind ink by the pool every day, and then write and draw. When I paint, I never use bright colors to please people's senses in order to win their favor.
You must know that the methods of painting and writing with a brush are similar. The brushwork of painting orchids and bamboos is very similar to the techniques of cursive script and official script.
Extended information:
Zheng Banqiao painted ink bamboo, mostly freehand works. Completed in one go, the breath of life is very strong, branch by leaf, no matter it is dead bamboo, new bamboo, clump of bamboo with a single branch, or bamboo in the wind. The bamboos in the rain are full of wonderful changes, such as the height of the bamboo, the shades of the bamboo, the withered and the flourishing, and the colorful touches, all of which are exquisite. The painting style is fresh, beautiful, and otherworldly, giving people a unique feeling.
Zheng Banqiao’s paintings have strange and dangerous compositions and are eclectic. Some are towering into the clouds, and some are plain and innocent. For example, the orchids he painted, some are on cliffs, and some are on the plains. On the bank of thorns, the slope is full of vitality and interest. Not only does it have a perfect art form, but it also has rich and profound ideological content.