Flowers and Birds in a Landscape

Object Details

• Artist

  Genga (active early 16th century)

• Label

  This painting does not represent a specific place, but is an appreciation of nature and the seasons of spring and autumn. The artist has selected one season for each screen. Such balanced compositions representing two or four seasons were a common subject of Japanese painting, especially in the screen format.

  Little is known about the artist, Genga, who is identified by a seal in the lower left and right corners of these screens. Known paintings by this artist are predominantly of flower-and-bird subjects, and they include both ink paintings and more brilliantly colored examples like these screens, which are the largest known pair by Genga. This pair of screens is an important example of large-format fully colored painting of the Muromachi period, which has become better known over the past two decades through the discovery in Japan of several fine examples.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Japanese Art from the Collection (October 26, 2024 - ongoing)

  Seasons: Japanese Screens (July 9, 2011 to January 22, 2012)

  Japanese Screens (March 2007 to January 3, 2016)

  Japanese Screens (May 9, 1993 to November 13, 1995)

  Autumn Colors (October 19 to December 20, 1984)

  A Decade of Discovery: Selected Acquisitions 1970-1980 (November 9, 1979 to May 22, 1980)

  Birds and Flowers of the Four Seasons in Japanese Art (September 14, 1977 to April 8, 1978)

  Japanese Art—Painted Screens (August 18, 1967 to May 2, 1973)

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Painting

• On View

  Freer Gallery 05: Japanese Art from the Collection

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

  The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1500s, 1540s

• Name

  Genga

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Trees, Landscapes, Art, Animals, Muromachi period (1333 - 1573), Japanese Art, Birds, Flowers

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Paintings

• On View

  Yes