Images
Here's my favorite dragon, holding the pearl of wisdom and enlightenment. He/She is one of the mighty, benevolent creatures of “Nine Dragons,” a stunning 36-ft long scroll painted by Chen Rong in1244.
On this scroll, the dragons "chase each other across the sky, climb over hills, play among clouds, wind, whirlpools, fire, and cliffs" in images that depict "the ever-lasting movement" and chaos of the universe. Within that world, dragons represent "strength, goodness, and benevolence." (Text in quotations, by Roy Hanney)
See the entire scroll on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Dragons_(painting) or at the MFABoston: collections.mfa.org/objects/28526
Detail, “In The Forest,” painting and mixed media, 6×6’ on canvas, by Dorothy D. Dunn, c. 1985; shared with permission of the Dunn Family Foundation
Nocturne in Black and Gold-The Falling Rocket,1875, J.M. Whistler, public domain
Nocturne, ©Wendy Prellwitz, print