A Snowy Day
A woman, seen from behind and face hidden to the viewer, clasps the handle of an umbrella as she trudges through the snow across a small bridge on a wintry day. The subdued palette of blues, dark greys and black against pale grey and white sets the somber tone of the painting. The meticulous detailing of the padded cloak beneath the jet-black outer jacket, the hem of kimono, and the orange and black geta covers add a subtle decorative counterpoint to the otherwise muted composition. The painting is not a bijinga, “painting of a beautiful woman,” per se, but rather an attempt to capture the mood of frigid winter day.
The painting draws our attention even more when we realize it is by Takeuchi Meihō, son and longtime assistant of the celebrated Nihonga painter Takeuchi Seihō (1864–1941). Father and son were famous for their bird-and-flower paintings and uninhabited landscapes so it rare to see Meihō experimenting with a composition dominated by a human figure, even if he does not show the woman’s facial features.
Meihō not only received direct tutelage from his father, but he also trained formally in the painting section of the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts and Crafts (Kyōto Shiritsu Kaiga Senmon Gakkō), a school that gave advanced training to Nihonga painters. He was already winning prestigious painting awards in his mid-twenties from open-competition Bunten, the Ministry of Education art exhibitions. When in 1919 the Bunten was reconstituted under the new name Teiten (Imperial Academy of Fine Arts exhibition), he continued to receive recognition on a regular basis. In 1922 he won a prize in the Bunten Kansai exhibition for “Sudden Rain” (Niwakaame), his last entry in a juried public exhibition, and a reminder that he had created a reputation for himself as an artist who could capture the mood of the seasons.
The painting draws our attention even more when we realize it is by Takeuchi Meihō, son and longtime assistant of the celebrated Nihonga painter Takeuchi Seihō (1864–1941). Father and son were famous for their bird-and-flower paintings and uninhabited landscapes so it rare to see Meihō experimenting with a composition dominated by a human figure, even if he does not show the woman’s facial features.
Meihō not only received direct tutelage from his father, but he also trained formally in the painting section of the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts and Crafts (Kyōto Shiritsu Kaiga Senmon Gakkō), a school that gave advanced training to Nihonga painters. He was already winning prestigious painting awards in his mid-twenties from open-competition Bunten, the Ministry of Education art exhibitions. When in 1919 the Bunten was reconstituted under the new name Teiten (Imperial Academy of Fine Arts exhibition), he continued to receive recognition on a regular basis. In 1922 he won a prize in the Bunten Kansai exhibition for “Sudden Rain” (Niwakaame), his last entry in a juried public exhibition, and a reminder that he had created a reputation for himself as an artist who could capture the mood of the seasons.
Artwork Details
- 竹内鳴鳳筆 「雪乃日」
- Title: A Snowy Day
- Artist: Takeuchi Meihō 竹内鳴鳳 (Japanese, 1888–1945)
- Period: Shōwa period (1926–89)
- Date: 1920s–30s
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
- Dimensions: Image: 85 × 33 1/2 in. (215.9 × 85.1 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Purchase, Sachiko and Lawrence Goodman Gift, 2022
- Object Number: 2022.501
- 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.
Chae Yongsin (artist name: Seokji)
dated by inscription to 1924
Unidentified artist
Zhou Wenju
early 20th century
Inoue Yūichi
1966
Yi Yong-u (artist name: Mungno)
probably 1940s
Shinoda Tōkō
1982
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.