Zhao Shao'ang, a native of Guangzhou, was the most influential artist in the second generation of the so-called Lingnan School of Guangdong painters, who are known for Western-inspired realism in their work. Extensively exhibiting his art abroad, Zhao may have had a greater impact on the West than in China.

In this daring composition, the bamboo is executed in a single, powerful brushstroke punctuated by pauses and subtle realignments that exemplify Zhao's signature "one stroke" method. His depiction of the cicada goes beyond traditional painting by capturing the varied textures of the insect's body and wings. Most importantly, while the cicada's profile is sharply defined, the details on the surface of its body are deliberately blurred. The result is an organic realism that best approximates the imperfect perception of objects by the human eye.

The cicada was a favorite subject of Zhao Shao'ang. In his inscription, it is clear that he cherished its conventional associations with the Confucian virtues of loftiness and purity, inspired by the cicada's habit of perching high on trees and the false belief that it lived entirely on dew:

As jade-green leaves wither in autumn,
Cicadas begin their melancholy songs in the chill.
Unwilling to chase worldly glory,
They drink dew to preserve their purity.

(trans. by Shi-yee Liu)