Skip to main content
  1. Art
  2. The Collection

Pheasant

Nishiyama Kan'ei

Artwork Details

Pheasant
2nd half of 19th century
Nishiyama Kan'ei
ink and color on paper
15 11/16 x 21 5/8 in. (40.0 x 55.0 cm); ;
Museum Purchase made possible by the Friends of the Museum of Art
1990/1.196

Tags

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 is a single pheasant standing in the middle of the painting with its head turned around to peck at its feathers. There are a mixture of red, blue, green, and black feathers on the pheasant. Behind the pheasant is a plant growing from the ground. On the ground surrounding the pheasant and plant is grass. There are two seals, one on the left side of the painting and the other on the right side of the painting.

Usage Rights:

If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.