As a devotee of the Taoist philosophy, T'ang was drawn to capture the vivid forces that give life to the natural world. Born in Xiamen in 1927, T'ang Haywen moved to Saigon, Vietnam during the Sino-Japanese War with his family. There he attended a French school and studied calligraphy under his grandfather's guidance. He later moved to France in 1948, the same year as his compatriot Zao Wou-Ki arrived. Under pressure from his parents, T'ang began studying medicine, though he soon abandoned this pursuit to start his artistic journey and discovery of Western art by traveling extensively throughout Europe. This painting, with its vibrant palette of colors and nearly abstracted composition, was perhaps influenced by the bold hues of the paintings of Henri Matisse, which T’ang may have encountered in his travels.