Summer and Autumn Landscapes by Nakabayashi Chikkei

Summer and Autumn Landscapes

1834 - 1866

0:00
0:00

Artwork details

Dimensions
Image (each screen): 5 ft. 1/4 in. x 11 ft. 8 9/16 in. (1.53 x 3.57 m)
Location
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Copyright
Public Domain

About this artwork

Nakabayashi Chikkei created these expansive "Summer and Autumn Landscapes" with ink and gold on paper in 19th century Japan. The six-panel screen presents an immersive vista of nature rendered with delicate washes of ink against a luminous gold ground. Notice how the composition unfolds, the mountains and trees emerge from and recede into a hazy atmosphere. Chikkei masterfully employs the technique of suggestion rather than explicit detail to create a dreamlike space. The misty quality destabilizes a conventional reading of landscape, challenging the viewer's sense of depth and perspective. The gold leaf background, far from being merely decorative, acts as a field of light, creating a sense of ethereal distance. This piece invites a slower, more contemplative viewing, where the shifting relationships between ink, gold, and the implied forms of nature create a space for individual reflection and interpretation. This is less a depiction of a specific place and more an invitation to a state of mind.

Comments

Be the first to share your thoughts about this work.