Orchids and Rocks, third quarter 19th century
Hidaka Tetsuōexpand_more
Ink on paperexpand_more
The John R. Van Derlip Fund; purchase from the collection of Elizabeth and Willard Clarkexpand_more 2013.31.1
Not on Viewexpand_more
Clumps of orchids cling to rocks in this composition by Hidaka Tetsuō. Like many other famous painters of orchids, Tetsuō avoids solid outlines and instead uses several tones of ink wash to render the orchids and rock surfaces—an old Chinese style known as “boneless.”
Tetsuō was a Zen Buddhist priest in Nagasaki, in far western Japan, rising to the rank of chief abbot of a major Zen temple. After retiring in his mid-50s, he traveled throughout Japan for several years, then returned to Nagasaki and spent the rest of his life in seclusion within the precincts of another Zen temple. There he spent much of his time writing and creating paintings in ink, mostly of landscapes and orchids, the subject for which he was seen as a master.
Details
- Title
- Orchids and Rocks
- Artist Life
- 1791 - 1871
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2013.31.1
- Curator Approved
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