PENG YULIN (1816-1890) Plum BlossomPENG YULIN (1816-1890)Plum BlossomInk on paper, hanging scrollSigned, with one seal of the artist彭玉麟 墨梅圖 設色紙本　立軸款識：品是高人骨是僊，不同凡卉共爭妍。春來南國得先氣，勝占西湖仰昔賢。開逕衹延松竹友，歲寒那怕雪霜天。彭玉麐寫。鈐印：青宮少保137cm (54in) high x 33cm (13in) widePeng Yulin (1816-1890) is known as both an artist and pre-eminent military leader. He fell in love with the adopted daughter of his maternal grandmother, Meigu (plum blossom), but the match was rejected, she married another man, and died. Peng vowed to complete 10,000 paintings of plum blossom, to commemorate the namesake of his lost love. This he did alongside a stellar military career. He rose to become Minister of War after a legendary military career in which he helped defeat the Taiping Army through his actions in the battle of Yuezhou and Tianjiazhen.Most of his paintings were destroyed in battle and this example is a rare survival.