Ducks
Nishiyama Kan'ei
Description
Subject Matter:
Nishiyama Kan'ai is "a skillful painter of landscapes and kachōga."
Roberts, Laurance Page, and John M. Rosenfield. A Dictionary of Japanese Artists: Painting, Sculpture, Ceramics, Prints, Lacquer. Weatherhill, 2000.
"Japanese art has a rich tradition in the depiction of flora and fauna. Until the 17thcentury powerful and myth-like creatures such as dragons, phoenixes, lion dogs, birds of prey and tigers were portrayed as aggressive. This changed however when the influence of the samurai subsided and urban culture began to develop. Rich merchants sought refinement and a sympathetic style and in the artistic rendition of nature docile animals in subtle well-balanced compositions emerged. Flowers and birds became popular subjects, not only for their esthetic beauty but for their symbolic significance as well.
The literal meaning of the Japanese word kachō-ga is ‘images of flowers and birds’. Richly coloured flowers and birds are the focal point of this exhibition that illustrates the origin and development of this decorative genre. Colourful plants and animals embellish the screens, scrolls, albums, illustrated books, fan-shaped prints and graphs dating back to the 18th and 20th century."
“Kachō-Ga. The Poetry of Japanese Nature.” Sieboldhuis, 13 Feb. 2019, www.sieboldhuis.org/en/exhibitions/kachōga-de-poëzie-van-de-japanse-natuur.
Physical Description:
There are three ducks in the water. The first is facing forward and is sitting in the water with its feet completely submerged. The second is behind the first but is a little higher in the water and is pecking at its feathers. The third is the furthest behind and is standing in the water with its legs fully visible but its feet submerged, it is also pecking at its feathers. There are two signatures and two seals on the right side of the painting.
Usage Rights:
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