Shi Tao (1642–1707) (the Bitter Melon Monk, a leading figure of the Four Early Qing Buddhist Monks) and Wang Yuanqi (1642–1715) (core of the Four Wangs and orthodox landscape master) created this hanging scroll in a two‑stage collaboration arranged by the Manchu noble Bo Erdu (Wen Ting) in Beijing. The work (ink and light color on paper, 134.2 cm × 57.7 cm, held in the National Palace Museum, Taipei) was initiated by Shi Tao in 1689 as a tribute to Bo Erdu, with Wang Yuanqi adding the sloping rocks in 1691—embodying a rare dialogue between the innovative, nature‑centered school and the classical‑revering orthodox camp.
The composition features several tall, elegant bamboos and clusters of delicate orchids dominating the left and center, rendered by Shi Tao with fluid, bold brushwork and dynamic contrasts between pale and scorched ink. His bamboo leaves follow the rule of “dark ink for the front, light ink for the back,” while orchid petals twist and turn with natural grace, free from rigid formulae. On the right, Wang Yuanqi complements with dry‑brush texturing (ganbi cun) and subtle light crimson washes for the rocks, using burnt ink accents to enhance the texture—rooting the ethereal orchids and bamboo in a solid, serene ground, and balancing the vitality of Shi’s lines with the quiet stability of Wang’s forms.
This work stands as a pivotal example of cross‑school collaboration in early Qing painting. It transcends the stylistic divide between Shi Tao’s philosophy of “learning directly from nature” and Wang Yuanqi’s devotion to the academic traditions of Huang Gongwang and the Yuan masters. Beyond technical synthesis, it reflects the cultural atmosphere of late‑17th‑century Beijing, where artists of opposing schools could engage in creative exchange. As a visual record of mutual respect between two giants, it enriches the narrative of Qing literati painting and remains a masterpiece of Chinese collaborative flower‑and‑bamboo painting.