Artwork Page for Spring and Autumn Farming

Details / Information for Spring and Autumn Farming

Spring and Autumn Farming

1700s

Kō Sūkoku 高 嵩谷

(Japanese, 1730–1804)
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Culture
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Medium
Pair of six-panel folding screens, ink, light color, gold, and silver on paper
Measurements
Overall: 170.2 x 353.5 cm (67 x 139 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. Norman Zaworski 2012.72
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 screens present the cycle of the farming year, starting with spring at right and ending with fall at left. Close examination of these screens reveals moments of games and amusement, the enjoyment of meals as well as intellectual and spiritual pursuits interspersed among the scenes of cultivating and preparing the rice harvest.

The artist Kō Sūkoku is considered the 18th-century heir in style and attitude to Hanabusa Itchō (1652–1724). Itchō’s work incorporated elements from Kano school, ukiyo-e, and literati styles of painting. Kō trained with one of Hanabusa’s pupils, Sawaki Sūshi, who was best known for scenes depicting everyday life and customs.
Two six-panel folding screens depict seasonal farming in an expansive landscape beneath shimmering gold clouds. On the top screen, figures in muted robes labor in flooded rice paddies on the left, framed by distant mountains. On the lower screen, villagers harvest grain near thatched-roof houses and wooden bridges. Muted greens and browns define the scenes, where people and horses move between simple structures and trees emerging from drifting, golden mists.

Spring and Autumn Farming

1700s

Kō Sūkoku

(Japanese, 1730–1804)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

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