flock of white and grey cranes, some with red at eyes and forehead, against a gold background; cranes stand, preen, and walk

Flock of Cranes [left of a pair], second half 18th century

expand_more
Not on Viewexpand_more

Ishida Yūtei was the teacher of Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795), the famous and influential champion of Western-influenced naturalism in Japan during the 1700s and founder of the Maruyama School. Though trained in the traditional Kano school methods, Yūtei was typical of Kano artists of his time in adopting an eclectic approach to painting. Here, he combined the monumentality and stylization associated with Kano painting with the repetition of a single theme often seen in Rinpa school painting. While Yūtei may have derived the postures of individual cranes from Kano instruction manuals, the idea of combining them all to depict an entire flock presages Ōkyo’s interest in naturalism.

Details
Title
Flock of Cranes [left of a pair]
Artist Life
1721 - 1786
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2015.79.73.1
Catalogue Raisonne
Murase, Art through a Lifetime, no. 163
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.

Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know

Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.

flock of white and grey cranes, some with red at eyes and forehead, against a gold background; cranes stand, preen, and walk