Jinshan Island and West Lake
Though united visually by an ink landscape of rugged mountains and islands among expanses of water and mists rendered in gold wash, this pair of screens depicts two wholly separate scenic locales in eastern China. At right is Jinshan, an island located in the middle of the Yangzi River near the town of Zhenjiang in southern Jiangsu province. The island’s many bridges, walkways, and paths are traversed by people from all walks of life—scholars, fisherman, and servants, among others—perhaps on their way to one of the temple halls scattered across the rugged terrain. The left screen meanwhile is a portrayal of West Lake, a storied site 150 miles south in the city of Hangzhou, whose city walls and gate can be seen in the lower-left foreground. Sanraku also incorporates into the landscape several of the Ten Views of West Lake, a set of poetic themes that first came into vogue in China during the twelfth century.
A student and adopted son of Momoyama-period master Kano Eitoku (1543–1590), Sanraku produced paintings for interiors of castles and temples, including other works depicting West Lake. Here rock formations display the crystalline, geometric quality that appears in much of his late work.
A student and adopted son of Momoyama-period master Kano Eitoku (1543–1590), Sanraku produced paintings for interiors of castles and temples, including other works depicting West Lake. Here rock formations display the crystalline, geometric quality that appears in much of his late work.
Artwork Details
- 狩野山楽筆 金山西湖図屏風
- Title: Jinshan Island and West Lake
- Artist: Kano Sanraku (Japanese, 1559–1635)
- Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
- Date: 1630
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, and gold on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 60 1/16 in. × 11 ft. 9 in. (152.5 × 358.2 cm)
Overall with mounting: 67 5/16 in. × 12 ft. 4 1/4 in. (170.9 × 376.6 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015
- Object Number: 2015.300.74.1, .2
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Kano Sanraku
late 16th–early 17th century
Kano Sanraku
Japan
early 17th century
Maruyama Ōkyo 円山応挙
right screen: 1774; left screen: 1793
Ogata Kōrin
ca. 1704–9
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.