Flowers and Birds of the Four Seasons

mid-19th century

Not on view

The right-hand scroll depicts flowers of the spring and summer seasons; the left, flowers and foliage of autumn and winter. Both works are executed in subtle yet rich tones and soft washes of color; leaves, branches, and flowers are rendered in the “boneless” manner—devoid of outline—that was typical of established Rinpa style. In numerous areas pigments are pooled or puddled together to create a mottled effect, a technique known as tarashikomi.

Among the more talented students of Sakai Hōitsu, Suzuki Kiitsu (1796–1858) is perhaps the most famous, but his younger contemporary Ikeda Koson was also an artist of great ability and dedication to the ideals of the Rinpa tradition. Koson was open to influences from other styles of painting, however; this pair of hanging scrolls owes much of its poetic appeal and its almost sensuous yet subdued colors to Koson’s Rinpa training.

Artwork Details

池田孤邨筆　四季花鳥画
Title: Flowers and Birds of the Four Seasons
Artist: Ikeda Koson (Japanese, 1803–1868)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: mid-19th century
Culture: Japan
Medium: Pair of hanging scrolls; ink, color, and gold on silk
Dimensions: Image (a): 42 3/8 × 14 3/16 in. (107.7 × 36 cm)
Overall with mounting (a): 76 3/16 × 18 11/16 in. (193.5 × 47.5 cm)
Overall with knobs: 76 3/16 × 20 3/4 in. (193.5 × 52.7 cm)
Image (b): 42 5/8 × 14 1/4 in. (108.3 × 36.2 cm)
Overall with mounting (b): 76 3/8 × 18 3/4 in. (194 × 47.6 cm)
Overall with knobs (b): 76 3/8 × 20 13/16 in. (194 × 52.8 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015
Object Number: 2015.300.99a, b
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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