Magpies and Maple Tree was made in the autumn of 1984. This full-framed work was composed with a branch of maple tree stretching out from the rock on the left. Layers of maple leaves highlight the depth of the structure, while displaying their exquisite colours of autumn. Two magpies, one on the branch and one flying in motion, look towards one another. Curves of their tails guide the eyes of the viewer throughout the painting while highlighting the elegance of the birds. This shows the meticulous thoughts and skilful brush of the painter, while portraying himself as a bird, creating such an emotionally vivid painting. To fully understand the thoughts of the painter, one must interview his closest relatives. According to his daughter, this work was the last large-scale masterpiece completed before the artist's death. A year before his death, the artist used strenuous power to meticulously paint in a standard equivalent to the one of prestigious Song school. In this work, magpies look into each other's eyes before the flying bird leaves the scene. As we put the work alongside the artist's timeline, the viewer could immediately associate this work with a message of farewell, thus making this work an intriguing and magnificent gift of the artist.