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Painting Party

書画会

1880

Kawanabe Kyōsai 河鍋 暁斎

(Japanese, 1831–1889)
Culture
Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912)
Medium
hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
Measurements
Painting only: 139 x 69 cm (54 3/4 x 27 3/16 in.); Including mounting: 221 x 97.5 cm (87 x 38 3/8 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1983.88
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
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Did You Know?

One participant in this gathering appears to be taking a nap.

Description

In this collaborative painting, artists create works in response to patrons’ requests. Kawanabe Kyōsai painted the figures and outlines of the screens and scrolls, and 10 bunjin completed them. Each calligraphy and painting has a signature. Physician and calligrapher Nakane Hanrei (中根半嶺) (1831–1914) wrote “longevity” (壽) with an enormous ink-filled brush. Painter Fukushima Ryūho (福島柳圃) (1820–1889) did the plum on the folding screen, while Matsuoka Kansui (松岡環翠) (1818–1887) did the lotus; the two seem to be standing nearby, pointing others toward their accomplishment.
A vertical hanging scroll depicts a dense gathering of figures with light skin tones in muted blue and brown robes. Kneeling on the pale paper, they use brushes to create calligraphy and paintings on large sheets. Vertical panels and screens featuring ink-wash landscapes and calligraphy float within the composition, punctuated by red seals. Near the bottom, a figure leans forward, holding a large brush over a bowl of black ink.

Painting Party

1880

Kawanabe Kyōsai

(Japanese, 1831–1889)
Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912)

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