Artwork Page for Puppies, Sparrows, and Chrysanthemums

Details / Information for Puppies, Sparrows, and Chrysanthemums

Puppies, Sparrows, and Chrysanthemums

子犬に雀、菊図

c. 1792–94

Nagasawa Rosetsu 長澤蘆雪

(Japanese, 1754–1799)
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Culture
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Medium
Fusuma panel remounted as a hanging scroll; ink and slight color on paper
Measurements
Overall: 211.4 x 94 cm (83 1/4 x 37 in.); Painted surface: 167.6 x 91.5 cm (66 x 36 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1970.71.3
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Description

These paintings were originally mounted as sliding doors (fusuma) used inside a building. The circular areas on the paintings’ paper surfaces are traces of the former positions of the door pulls (hikite). A flock of sparrows gathers on a trellis supporting flowering chrysanthemum. Below is a litter of puppies, some cavorting, others napping. The tender story created by the curious puppy peering up and tilting its head to listen to the bird’s insistent call (in the leftmost part of the composition) is characteristic of Nagasawa Rosetsu’s paintings, which often use animals to illustrate the human condition.
A vertically oriented ink painting features sparse elements floating against a mottled tan background. In the lower left, a chrysanthemum branch with delicate white and reddish-brown flowers curves inward. Above it, a bird perches on a thin diagonal branch, while two others soar through the middle ground. In the lower right, a round, cream-colored puppy with dark markings and a curled tail walks toward the edge. Delicate ink lines and muted tones define the scene.

Puppies, Sparrows, and Chrysanthemums

c. 1792–94

Nagasawa Rosetsu

(Japanese, 1754–1799)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

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