Moon and Autumn Plants

Object Details

• Artist

  Sakai Hoitsu 酒井抱一 (1761-1828)

• Label

  Flowering plants and autumn grasses posed against the backdrop of a hazy autumn moon was a popular subject for Hoitsu; close variations are found both as individual paintings and as elements of larger ensembles representing the birds and flowers of the twelve months.

  Hoitsu's observation of nature approaches the accuracy of botanical drawing while retaining an idealised, gossamer delicacy. The artist achieves this balance by defining forms through carefully controlled, multilayered pigment washes rather than by defining shapes through ink outline.

• Provenance

  To 1904

  Michael Tomkinson (1841-1921), Kidderminster, England, to 1904 [1]

  From 1904 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Michael Tomkinson in 1904 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Kakemono List, L. 418, pg. 110, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Rinpa: Creativity Across Time and Space (October 1, 2022 to April 2, 2023)

  Bold and Beautiful: Rinpa in Japanese Art (June 28, 2015 to January 3, 2016)

  Japanese Arts in the Edo Period: 1615-1868, part 1 (August 18, 2007 to February 24, 2008)

  More Than Flowers: Sources of Tradition in Japanese Painting (September 2, 2001 to November 24, 2002)

  Japanese Art (May 9, 1993 to August 1, 1994)

  Japanese Art (November 7, 1986 to July 19, 1988)

  Autumn Colors (October 19 to December 20, 1984)

  Japanese Art—Autumn Voices (October 14, 1981 to December 16, 1981)

  Japanese Ceramics (April 11, 1978 to January 17, 1980)

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

  Bicentennial Exhibition: Japanese Art (December 15, 1975 to November 10, 1976)

  Japanese Art—Paintings (September 16, 1970 to May 2, 1973)

  Chinese and Japanese Art--Lacquer and Paintings (August 18, 1967 to October 14, 1969)

  Japanese Art, Galleries 3, 4, and 5 (January 1, 1963 to September 16, 1970)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Michael Tomkinson (1841-1921) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1700s, 1710s, 1720s, 1770s, 1780s, 1790s, 1730s, 1740s, 1750s, 1760s, 1800s, 1810s, 1820s, 1830s, 1610s, 1650s, 1640s, 1630s, 1620s, 1690s, 1840s, 1680s, 1850s, 1670s, 1860s, 1660s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Tomkinson, Michael

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Autumn, Moon, Outer space, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art, Kakemono

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Paintings