This painting depicts a cypress branch, magnolia, and peony - a popular trio in Chinese painting--- which are symbolic of fame and prosperity. Although the subject matter is somewhat vulgar, the painting itself is not ---something that could be accomplished only by a gifted artist.

Considered the equal of the "Four Great Masters of the Ch'ing Dynasty," Yun was one of the "Ssu Wang Wu Yun," or "the four Messrs. Wang, the Master Wu, and the Master Yun," -six of the most famous painters of the Ch'ing dynasty. He incorporated the "boneless" method of the Northern Sung Painter Hsu Ch'ung-ssu into his own repertoire and thus created a new style, for which he became known as a master of flower painting. He was the leading essayist and poet of the "Six Gentlemen of Pi-ling." He was from Wu-chin in Kiangsu. He used his style name Shou-p'ing in place of Ko, his original name, and then changed his style name to Cheng-shu. His sobriquets were Nant'ien, Ylin-hsi-wai-shih, and Tung-yuan-ts'ao-yi.