Huang Yongyu was imprisoned and persecuted during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) for his artistic endeavours. This work of an old Buddhist monk cuddling a young baby cat recollects the artist’s experiences during this difficult time. In the upper right corner of the painting is a poetic inscription that begins:
A Picture Announcing the Arrival of Spring. Spring calls the cat and the cat cries, spring listens The louder it cries the more alert it becomes The old monk has a cat but does not dare to utter a cry in front of others.
A poem by a certain old monk of the Song dynasty (970–1279), the year 1980, Huang Yongyu.