Mice on Rice-cake Flowers, late 1790s
Nagasawa Rosetsuexpand_more
Ink and colors on silkexpand_more
Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundationexpand_more 2015.79.163
Not on Viewexpand_more
For New Year's, the Japanese decorate cut bare branches with small balls of glutinous rice (mochi), which they think resembles plum blossoms, a harbinger of spring. In this rather earthy view of the holiday, Rosetsu has pictured a pack of mice devouring the delicate "flowers."
Rosetsu, an exuberant and expressive ink painter, also excelled at working in an extremely detailed and refined manner. In this scroll, he displays his skill at kegaki, the technique of painting countless lines over a light wash to realistically portray the fur's soft, undulating texture. In addition, Rosetsu had an uncanny understanding of animals. Here, he deftly captured the nature of mice through their tense, delicate gestures and quick, dark eyes.
Details
- Title
- Mice on Rice-cake Flowers
- Artist Life
- 1754 - 1799
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2015.79.163
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Murase, Art through a Lifetime, no. 399
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These 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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