Small Bird on a Crepe Myrtle Branch

ca. 1850s

Not on view

At a time when the ukiyo-e tradition was emphasizing scenes of contemporary life in the urban world, nanga or "southern pictures," inspired by Chinese painting of the Ming and Qing dynasties, offered a retreat into the unhurried world of nature and art. Tsubaki Chinzan shows us a formal yet abbreviated landscape, where just two softly rendered boughs of the myrtle tree open their delicate foliage to embrace the rising moon, partially obscured by clouds. The evening mood invites contemplation and quietude, in an intimate moment shared with a tiny bird who is nestled securely among the spring foliage.

Artwork Details

Title: Small Bird on a Crepe Myrtle Branch
Artist: Tsubaki Chinzan (Japanese, 1801–1854)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: ca. 1850s
Culture: Japan
Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
Dimensions: 43 15/16 x 18 7/8 in. (111.6 x 48 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975
Object Number: 1975.268.118
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

By Tsubaki Chinzan

In the same medium

From the same time and place

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Peony and Swallow, Tsubaki Chinzan Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper, Japan — Peony and Swallow
Tsubaki Chinzan
1854

Rock and Autumn Flowers, Tsubaki Chinzan Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper, Japan — Rock and Autumn Flowers
Tsubaki Chinzan
1854

Hawk Grasping a Small Bird, Tsubaki Chinzan Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper, Japan — Hawk Grasping a Small Bird
Tsubaki Chinzan
mid-19th century

Small Birds on a Willow Branch and Hibiscus Blossoms, Tsubaki Chinzan Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper, Japan — Small Birds on a Willow Branch and Hibiscus Blossoms
Tsubaki Chinzan
1850

Red and White Peach Blossoms, Preparatory Sketch, Tsubaki Chinzan Japanese, Hanging scroll; color on paper, Japan — Red and White Peach Blossoms, Preparatory Sketch
Tsubaki Chinzan
1843

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