Three Waterfalls of Nachi
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.Four mountain streams flow across Mt. Nachi in Wakayama prefecture and descend in a vast network of waterfalls collectively known as the “Forty-eight Falls.” The lowest and largest of these, Fall One or the Great Fall, is considered the residence of the deity of Hirō Shrine. The small, white lines of Falls Two and Three can be seen cascading from the side of the mountain’s upper reaches. Carefully painted gentle lines give shape to the wrinkled and towering forms of the mountain, while fresh shades of green are used throughout the painting, impressively conveying the solemn atmosphere of this sacred peak revered as the home of a deity. According to the inscription supplied by Kaiseki’s friend, the Confucian scholar Sano San’in (1751–1818), this was Kaiseki’s second version of a work that had the distinction of having been viewed by the daimyō (territorial lord) of Kii Province.
Kaiseki was born in Wakayama and trained as a Confucian scholar. He studied literati painting with Ike no Taiga.
Kaiseki was born in Wakayama and trained as a Confucian scholar. He studied literati painting with Ike no Taiga.
Artwork Details
- Title: Three Waterfalls of Nachi
- Artist: Noro Kaiseki (Japanese, 1747–1828)
- Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
- Date: 1789
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
- Dimensions: Image: 46 15/16 × 14 9/16 in. (119.3 × 37 cm)
Overall with mounting: 70 7/8 × 17 11/16 in. (180 × 45 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Lent by Feinberg Collection
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art