Waterfall in Summer Mountains

Nakabayashi Chikutō Japanese

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 231

A man sits contemplatively on a stone bridge that arches over a stream, admiring the waterfall cascading from the lush green mountains. His simple thatched studio, seen just below on the water, features a minimalist interior with a desk. This landscape by Nakabayashi Chikutō draws upon the tradition of Chinese blue-green painting to capture the idyllic pursuit of a scholar embracing nature.

Born into a family of physicians in Nagoya, Chikutō engaged extensively with the literati of his era and studied Chinese paintings in monastic collections. Beyond his career as an artist, he was also an art historian, authoring several treatises on painting.

Waterfall in Summer Mountains, Nakabayashi Chikutō (Japanese, 1776–1853), Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, Japan

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Waterfall in Summer Mountains, Nakabayashi Chikutō (Japanese, 1776–1853), Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, Japan
Waterfall in Summer Mountains, Nakabayashi Chikutō (Japanese, 1776–1853), Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, Japan

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.