The four gentlemen (plum blossoms,orchids, bamboo and chrysanthemums) are often introduced as the basic painting subjects in sumi art. When you can paint all four subjects well, then it is believed that you can paint virtually anything with sumi ink and brush. I quickly learned (at least for myself) that it is a life-long learning process. In a post I read recently by Sho Ito (the wonderfully talented Japanese suibokuga artist), that one should depict not so much their forms but what each represents. Please join me in my journey to learn the real meaning and importance of the four gentlemen.