Hototogisu 1800 - 1820

"Hototogisu" (1800-1820) is a hanging scroll painting by the renowned Japanese artist Kubo Shunman (1757-1820). The artwork, currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, depicts a cuckoo bird, known as a hototogisu in Japanese, soaring through the night sky beneath a full moon. The delicate brushwork and subtle use of ink and color create a sense of tranquility and evoke the beauty of the natural world, a hallmark of Shunman's artistic style. The artwork's inscription, written in elegant calligraphy, likely contains a poem or literary reference, adding a layer of intellectual engagement to the visual composition.