Start with one detail
A fish or a flowering stem can be more than a decorative detail. At The Met, Tang Guang’s Red lotus and fish offers a specific example of an auspicious image. Begin with the object record, then compare the picture with the museum’s explanation of its meaning.
For a longer study, the Smithsonian’s archived Song and Yuan catalogue brings paintings and calligraphy together with inscriptions and related documentation. It is a resource for learning how an artwork is read, not a schedule of what is hanging in a gallery today.