Pheasant beneath Paulownia Tree

18th century

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.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

西園方済筆　梧桐下錦鶏図
Title: Pheasant beneath Paulownia Tree
Artist: Saien Hōsai (Xiyua Fangqi) (1736?–?1795)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: 18th century
Culture: Japan
Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
Dimensions: 38 1/2 x 12 3/16 in. (97.8 x 30.9 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: 1975.268.86
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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