Artwork Page for West Lake

Details / Information for West Lake

West Lake

西湖図

mid-1700s

Ike Taiga 池大雅

(Japanese, 1723–1776)
Culture
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink and light color on paper
Measurements
Painting: 58 x 133 cm (22 13/16 x 52 3/8 in.); Mounted: 170.5 x 140.3 cm (67 1/8 x 55 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1970.69
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

Among Taiga's sources for his paintings were images he studied in Chinese wood-block–printed books.

Description

West Lake near Hangzhou, China, has been home to revered poets who immortalized it in their poetry. Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi (772–846) lived in its vicinity, and Song dynasty poet Lin Bu (967–1028) led a reclusive life on Solitary Hill near the lake. Landscape paintings of West Lake gained in popularity in Japan as early as the 1400s. The distinctive, arched bridges connecting small islands in the lake identify the subject. Ike Taiga was among the first generation of Japanese artists to emulate Chinese scholars who painted as amateurs and gifted their work to friends and colleagues.
A horizontal paper scroll in ink and light color depicts a panoramic landscape. Craggy rock formations and pine trees rise on the left, while a multi-arched bridge spans misty water toward undulating hills. In the foreground, small buildings with peaked roofs are nestled among expressive dashes of foliage. Calligraphic characters and two red seals mark the upper right, while faint mountain silhouettes line the distant horizon.

West Lake

mid-1700s

Ike Taiga

(Japanese, 1723–1776)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

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