Two Cranes and a Pine Tree by Maruyama Ōkyo 円山応挙

Two Cranes and a Pine Tree c. 18th century

0:00

painting, hanging-scroll, ink

painting

asian-art

landscape

ukiyo-e

figuration

hanging-scroll

ink

underpainting

orientalism

realism

Dimensions: 33 7/8 x 20 5/8 in. (86.04 x 52.39 cm) (image)

Maruyama Ōkyo painted “Two Cranes and a Pine Tree” using ink and color on silk during the Edo period in Japan, a period marked by relative peace and isolation under the Tokugawa shogunate. Ōkyo, a prominent figure in the Kyoto art scene, blended Western naturalism with traditional Japanese techniques, reflecting a broader cultural negotiation between isolation and global influence. Cranes, symbols of longevity and fidelity, flank a pine tree, itself representing steadfastness. These symbols speak to the values of the samurai class, who, despite a time of peace, were expected to uphold their virtues. Look closely. Do you notice how the realism in the cranes’ posture contrasts with the stylized pine? These details capture the emotional and cultural complexities of a society in transition.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart over 1 year ago

⋮

Maruyama O_kyo was the founder of a school of naturalist painters in the city of Kyoto in the 18th century. He artfully combined the traditional Japanese decorative compositional approach with elements of Western realism. For this painting of two cranes, O_kyo carefully depicted the birds' plumage and scaly texture of their legs. He also created a convincing sense of space and volume by foreshortening the neck of one of the cranes. Red-crowned cranes were once ubiquitous throughout the wetlands of China, Korea and Japan. Their impressive size, striking coloration, and lively "dance" made them a popular subject among artists. In East Asian mythology, they are believed to live for 1,000 years, and thus became auspicious symbols of longevity.