Artwork Page for Four Motifs from the Eight Views of Xiao-Xiang

Details / Information for Four Motifs from the Eight Views of Xiao-Xiang

Four Motifs from the Eight Views of Xiao-Xiang

瀟湘八景図

1788

Tani Bunchō 谷文晁

(Japanese, 1763–1841)
View all records in artwork set
Culture
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Medium
Four album leaves from a set of eight remounted as hanging scrolls; ink and color on paper
Measurements
Each painting: 29.5 x 49 cm (11 5/8 x 19 5/16 in.); Each mounted: 129 x 67 cm (50 13/16 x 26 3/8 in.)
Credit Line
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund 1980.188
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

These paintings were part of a set of album leaves representing the Eight Views of Xiao-Xiang, a theme originating in Chinese poetry and painting that spread to both Korea and Japan. Southern China’s Xiao-Xiang area, where the mist-covered banks of the Xiang River created a complex landscape shifting like the moods and minds of people, captured the imaginations of generations of painters and calligraphers. Inscriptions on these works suggest that they were possibly ordered by newly prominent Japanese Confucian scholars.
Four vertical hanging scrolls feature horizontal landscape paintings centered within golden-brown silk and patterned fabric. The ink and color scenes depict mountains, water, and trees. Calligraphic text and red seals mark each painting. From left to right: a misty shoreline; mountains overlooking a lake with a boat; craggy peaks and a stone bridge; and a village nestled among mountains. Landforms recede into pale backgrounds throughout.

Four Motifs from the Eight Views of Xiao-Xiang

1788

Tani Bunchō

(Japanese, 1763–1841)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork