Dragon and Tiger
Auspicious images of dragons and tigers stand out as among the most popular Chinese pictorial themes transplanted to Japan. The East Asian dragon, usually represented surrounded by clouds, is associated with water, embodying a dynamic natural force manifest in thunderstorms. The dragon is said to preside over the heavens, while the tiger, an animal not native to Japan, is believed to rule the earth.
In the right-hand scroll of this entirely monochrome composition, Maruyama Ōkyo depicts the dragon emerging from clouds rendered in the layers of soft washes for which the artist was famous. At left, the tiger—its fur meticulously picked out in fine brushstrokes—glares upward at the dragon but displays little suggestion of ferocity, as is typical of Japanese depictions.
In the right-hand scroll of this entirely monochrome composition, Maruyama Ōkyo depicts the dragon emerging from clouds rendered in the layers of soft washes for which the artist was famous. At left, the tiger—its fur meticulously picked out in fine brushstrokes—glares upward at the dragon but displays little suggestion of ferocity, as is typical of Japanese depictions.
Artwork Details
- 円山応挙筆 龍虎図
- Title: Dragon and Tiger
- Artist: Maruyama Ōkyo (Japanese, 1733–1795)
- Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
- Date: 1770
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Pair of hanging scrolls: ink on silk (dragon), ink and color on silk (tiger)
- Dimensions: Image (dragon): 41 13/16 × 19 11/16 in. (106.2 × 50 cm)
Overall with mounting: 77 15/16 × 25 1/4 in. (198 × 64.1 cm)
Overall with knobs: 77 15/16 × 27 1/2 in. (198 × 69.9 cm)
Image (tiger): 41 5/8 × 19 1/2 in. (105.8 × 49.6 cm)
Overall with mounting: 77 7/8 × 25 1/8 in. (197.8 × 63.8 cm)
Overall with knobs: 77 7/8 × 27 1/2 in. (197.8 × 69.9 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2023
- Object Number: 2023.583.16a, b
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
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Maruyama Ōkyo
1785
Maruyama Ōkyo
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Kaihō Yūsetsu
mid-17th century
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