Water with Floating Cherry Petals, Kanō Isen'in

Artwork Overview

Kanō Isen'in, Water with Floating Cherry Petals
Kanō Isen'in, Water with Floating Cherry Petals
Kanō Isen'in
Water with Floating Cherry Petals
late 1700s–early 1800s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Kanō Isen'in, artist
1775–1828
Water with Floating Cherry Petals, late 1700s–early 1800s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Where object was made: Japan
Material/technique: silk; ink; color
Dimensions:
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 810 x 265 mm
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 31 7/8 x 10 7/16 in
Credit line: Museum purchase
Accession number: 1969.0049
Not on display
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Images

Label texts

Exhibition Label:
"Time/Frame," Jun-2008, Robert Fucci, Shuyun Ho, Lauren Kernes, Lara Kuykendall, Ellen C. Raimond, and Stephanie Teasley
The theme “Snow, Moon, and Flower” stems from a line of verse written by the ninth-century Chinese poet Bai Juyi (772–846). He muses, “I miss you most in the snow of winter, the moon of autumn, and the flowering blossoms of spring.” Appreciation for the beauty of fleeting moments in nature has remained a pervasive characteristic of East Asian art throughout history. In this triptych, KanŘ Isen’in presents the theme of painting in the form of fragile powdered snow, a shadowed moon, and the scattered petals of a cherry tree. Painted against an empty background, the subjects appear transient, as if they could disappear in the next moment. This representation resonates to Japanese aesthetic sensibilities. As the fourteenth-century Buddhist priest KenkŘ asks, “Are we to look at cherry blossoms only in full bloom, the moon only when it is cloudless?” His acknowledgement of the impermanent quality of things in the world inspires us to enjoy them while we can.

Resources

Audio

Didactic – Art Minute
Didactic – Art Minute
Episode 157 Jul-2008, Shuyun Ho I’m David Cateforis with another Art Minute from the Spencer Museum of Art. A set of three early 19th-century hanging scrolls by the Japanese painter Kanō Isen explores the enduring theme of “Snow, Moon, and Flower.” In this triptych, the round moon occupies the center scroll. On either side, white dots suggest cherry blossoms and falling snow, while contrasting touches of ink wash evoke clouds and shadow. Landscape elements such as cherry trees disappear in the poetic evocation, creating a space devoid of extraneous background details. Minimal brushwork imparts translucence, infusing the paintings with a meditative quality. The “Snow, Moon, and Flower” theme stems from a line of verse by the ninth-century Chinese poet Bai Juyi. He muses, “I miss you most in the snow of winter, the moon of autumn, and the flowering blossoms of spring.” Celebrated in the ninth-century Japanese imperial court, the subtlety of the poetic phrase captures the power of longing embodied by the fleeting change of the seasons. Since then, the theme has endured in a wide variety of Japanese art forms, including noh dramas and the tea ceremony. With thanks to Shuyun Ho for her text, from the Spencer Museum of Art, I’m David Cateforis.