narrow, tall mountains and irregular rock formations dotted with foliage in background; large, tall rock formation with irregular edges and dense dots of foliage at L with small figure seated at flat top; small pavilion on rock formation at R; figures in boat at lower center

Title unknown; Winter, from a set of "Landscapes of the Four Seasons", Autumn 1929

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Although a complex layering of snowcapped peaks dominates this wintry landscape, the painter has provided us with guides to assist us on our journey through the work. We enter at the bottom of the painting along with the scholar and his servant, who make their way into the mountains via a rocky river. Although the river quickly disappears, we can imagine that they are making their way toward the empty pavilion on a cliff in the right middleground. But we are not alone here—farther up, another figure is seated on a precipice. He looks out over a misty valley toward mountains in the distance.

Fukuda Kodōjin and a handful of other scholar-artists carried the Nanga tradition into the 20th century, and his painting style is informed not only by famous painters from Chinese antiquity but also by earlier Japanese Nanga painters. Like other literati painters in East Asia, Kodōjin was not only a painter but also an accomplished scholar, poet, and calligrapher. Like most of his paintings, this one features a poem composed by Kodōjin, brushed in his own unique calligraphic style.

Details
Title
Title unknown; Winter, from a set of "Landscapes of the Four Seasons"
Artist Life
1865 - 1944
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2013.29.839
Curator Approved

This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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narrow, tall mountains and irregular rock formations dotted with foliage in background; large, tall rock formation with irregular edges and dense dots of foliage at L with small figure seated at flat top; small pavilion on rock formation at R; figures in boat at lower center