Artwork Page for Flowers and Trees of the Four Seasons (left screen)

Details / Information for Flowers and Trees of the Four Seasons (left screen)

Flowers and Trees of the Four Seasons (left screen)

四季花木図屏風

early to mid-1700s

Watanabe Shikō 渡辺 始興

(Japanese, 1683–1755)
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Culture
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Medium
Six-panel folding screen; ink, color, gold, silver, and gilding on paper
Measurements
Overall: 155 x 368.5 cm (61 x 145 1/16 in.)
Credit Line
Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2021.132.2
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
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Did You Know?

One plant in these screens, tumeric, or ukon in Japanese, is found in Okinawa.

Description

The painter Watanabe Shikō had a special interest in scientific realism, based on interactions with his patron Konoe Iehiro. Shikō combined his attention to accurate depiction of plants with strong ink outlines and decorative elements like gold and silver, arriving at an innovative style that influenced many of his peers in the city of Kyoto.
A horizontally oriented six-panel screen painting in gold leaf and ink centers flowering plants against a background of gilded clouds. Framed by a floral border, a gnarled tree trunk rises on the left, sprouting pink blossoms over lush green, pink, and white flowers. To the right, smaller clusters of yellow flowers rest on a golden ground. Shimmering clouds of gold squares sweep across the composition, creating a luminous, layered atmosphere.

Flowers and Trees of the Four Seasons (left screen)

early to mid-1700s

Watanabe Shikō

(Japanese, 1683–1755)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

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