was looking at the phaelaenopses in the brattle street florist and trying to remember how 病梅馆记 went because that aesthetic philosophy in the text seems so apt when applied to orchids. finally gave up trying to haul it out memory and googled it (ever since i discovered i can google chinese material directly i have been spending far more time surfing than i should.) and found a good teaching resource for the text.

and here is the line i wanted:

梅以曲为美，直则无姿；以欹为美，正则无景；以疏为美，密则无态。

indeed.

(and of course some nitpicker (only it won't be von, because he doesn't read chinese) is going to come along and say "but that's not what he meant at all! it was an allegory for - " to which i will say, shut up, i know that very well, but still.)