Chrysanthemum

A cluster of white chrysanthemum blossoms and their rich green leaves and stalks stand out against a gold-leafed background. The seal and signature—indicating his age as eighty-one— of the artist Ogata Kenzan, one of the principal masters of the mid-Edo period Rinpa school, appear to the right. The fan painting is striking for the bold but simple design, its limited palette and close-up view of the flowers and leaves, and an overlapping of the blossoms that provides a three-dimensional quality, contrasting with the flatness of the gilded background.

Kenzan, younger brother of the renowned painter Ogata Kōrin (1658–1716), was educated in literature and the arts as befitted a well-to-do gentleman, and became a skilled calligrapher, although he is known primarily as a ceramic artist. For his ceramic wares he sometimes collaborated with Kōrin, who provided painted designs to ornament the vessels. However, Kenzan was himself a gifted painter, and created paintings in various formats. This fan reflects the influence of his brother, who produced numerous images of chrysanthemums, inspired by Chinese and Japanese literary references to the flowers associated with the autumn season and longevity.