Poppies and Butterfly

Maker(s)
Artist: Suzuki Kiitsu 鈴木其一 (1796-1858)
Historical period(s)
Edo period, early to mid 19th century
Medium
Ink and colors on silk
Dimensions
H x W (image): 102.3 × 35.9 cm (40 5/16 × 14 1/8 in)
Geography
Japan
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1997.15
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Hanging scroll

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

Kiitsu was the successor to Sakai Hoitsu (1761-1828), who had single-handedly revived and expanded the Rimpa style in Edo (present-day Tokyo). In 1815, Hoitsu's research of the paintings of Ogata Korin (1658-1716) resulted in a printed catalogue of the earlier master's works. Under Hoitsu, Edo-style Rimpa acquired a feeling of polish and quasirealism that distinguished it from styles popular in Kyoto, such as Hochu's persimmons in this gallery.

Kiitsu's study of attenuated and gently curving poppies provides provocative compositional tension. The painter hints that the composition's light creature on an equally delicate blossom endangers the balance of the whole.

Collection Area(s)
Japanese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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