Crane and Pine 18th-19th century

Kano Tsunenobu painted this hanging scroll, Crane and Pine, in ink and color on silk, sometime during his tenure as the official painter to the Tokugawa shogunate. Reflecting the cultural reverence for longevity and auspiciousness during the Edo period, Tsunenobu portrays the crane and pine, both symbols of long life and good fortune in Japanese art. He would have been keenly aware of his position within a rigid, hierarchical society, using his art to subtly reinforce the values of the ruling elite. Consider how gender roles are at play here; Tsunenobu, as a male artist, participates in a long lineage of artists who upheld the dominant social order through their artwork. While we may not know Tsunenobu's innermost feelings, the painting serves as a visual echo of the era's aspirations for stability. It is up to us to decide if this piece perpetuates or transcends the expectations of its time.