Pheasant beneath Paulownia Tree
Saien Hōsai (Xiyua Fangqi) Chinese
Not on view
A single pheasant stands upon an outcropping of rocks beneath a paulownia tree whose branch supports a pair of smaller fowl. In this deceptively simple composition, the artist has deployed a wide array of brush techniques. In the pheasant alone the artist has used a dry, controlled brush for the crest; a soft layer of dark, wet ovals over modulated ink wash for the breast; crisp, opaque strokes for the legs and feet; and diminutive dots over translucent sweeps of ink for the back and tail feathers. Xiyua Fangqi, known in Japan as Saien Hōsai, was a Chinese merchant and painter. He is thought to have been from either Jiangsu or Anhui Province, and to have traveled to Japan on a number of occasions beginning about the year 1772.
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