Those subscribing to State Library Victoria’s e-newsletter would have already seen this story. But for those who haven’t: “In 2009, an unsent and unclaimed love letter was found behind a painting in the Cowen Gallery,” explains @library_vic.
The whole story, plus the accompanying musical composition by Chinese/Australian composer and renowned guzheng (ancient Chinese harp) player Mindy Meng Wang (@mindy_mengwang), can be found HERE. The devastating love story makes me want to visit the library’s “Rebel Hearts: Love letters and other declarations” exhibition and read the hand-written letter straight away.
Who are XiangYa and Shi Man? I believe there are ways to find/identify them, but their story is so profoundly yet tragically beautiful, precisely because we don’t know who they are. The mystery, the unknown, the desire it elicits that an answer, any answer, deserves to be found, is what makes it appealing.
Luckily, we know the painting behind which the love letter was hidden. Upon seeing this 1869 painting “Terrinallum Homestead” by Swiss landscape painter Abram-Louis “Louis” Buvelot who spent 23 years in Australia, my attention was immediately drawn to the birds flying over the open landscape. The painting is just as Wang describes it: “It’s very empty… When you stand in front of it, it’s just you and your world.” I agree with Wang — this is likely to be the reason why XiangYa decided to hide her love letter behind the painting.
Somewhere out there, hopefully XiangYa is now living a happy life.
Voices under the Sun 陽光下的聲音 