Heron
A white heron descending above a lake or stream is reflected in the water below. A stand of reeds and grasses on the right make a subtle reference to a shoreline. Details of the heron’s plumage are finely rendered in white pigment; the eyes, beak, legs, and feet of the bird are also delicately detailed, while the pale reflection of the heron in the water is sensitively delineated.
The attention to detail is typical of the work of Mitsuoki, one of the most important painters of the Tosa school, who regained the title "head of the court painting bureau," lost during the Momoyama period (1573–1615), for the successive leaders of his studio. Mitsuoki was well known for his refined bird-and-flower paintings, in which he combined traditional elements of Japanese yamato-e painting with techniques gleaned from the popular Kano school patronized by the Tokugawa shoguns, as well as Chinese bird-and-flower compositions.
The attention to detail is typical of the work of Mitsuoki, one of the most important painters of the Tosa school, who regained the title "head of the court painting bureau," lost during the Momoyama period (1573–1615), for the successive leaders of his studio. Mitsuoki was well known for his refined bird-and-flower paintings, in which he combined traditional elements of Japanese yamato-e painting with techniques gleaned from the popular Kano school patronized by the Tokugawa shoguns, as well as Chinese bird-and-flower compositions.
Artwork Details
- 土佐光起筆 鷺図
- Title: Heron
- Artist: Tosa Mitsuoki (Japanese, 1617–1691)
- Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
- Date: 17th century
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
- Dimensions: Image: 38 1/8 × 16 5/16 in. (96.8 × 41.5 cm)
Overall with mounting: 72 1/4 × 27 3/16 in. (183.5 × 69 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2019
- Object Number: 2019.420.19
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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Tosa Mitsuoki
17th century
Returned to lender
Tosa Mitsuoki
17th century
Returned to lender
Tosa Mitsuoki
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Tosa Mitsuoki
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