Wisteria and Other Flowers

Maker(s)
Artist: Fuka'e Roshu (1699-1757)
Historical period(s)
Edo period, 18th century
Medium
Ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H x W (image): 125.3 × 51.8 cm (49 5/16 × 20 3/8 in)
Geography
Japan
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1958.12
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Hanging scroll

Keywords
Edo period (1615 - 1868), flower, Japan, kakemono, wisteria, WWII-era provenance
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

It is likely that this painting, now mounted as a hanging scroll, was once a panel in a pair of six-panel screens. Roshu, an artist whose father was an important official at the Kyoto mint, probably studied painting with Ogata Korin (1658-1716).

The assortment of flowering plants is placed in a visually successful composition that bears no relation to the natural world; plants from all seasons are shown blooming simultaneously. A fine example of early-eighteenth-century Rimpa mode, the plant and flower forms are defined by delicately modulated polychrome washes rather than by ink line. The desired impression of a soft, natural cornucopia is thus successfully achieved.

Published References
  • Zaigai hiho [(Japanese Paintings in Western Collections]. 3 vols., Tokyo. vol. 1, pt. 1, pl. 66.
  • Unknown title. no. 762 Tokyo. pl. 6.
  • Unknown title. no. 801 Tokyo, December 1958. pl. 5.
Collection Area(s)
Japanese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. 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 Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use