Dimensions 34 5/8 × 16 in. (87.95 × 40.64 cm) (image)67 1/4 × 20 5/8 in. (170.82 × 52.39 cm) (mount)
"Hawk" was created by Kano Yukinobu during the Muromachi period. The monochrome ink on paper lends the artwork a serene yet intense visual presence. The composition guides us from the sparse pine branches above to the hawk perched on a gnarled tree limb. Yukinobu masterfully uses ink wash to create depth and texture, particularly in the hawk's feathers, which contrast with the smooth, unpainted areas of the paper. The hawk's gaze, directed downwards, creates a sense of focused attention, drawing the viewer into its world. This work exemplifies the Kano school's synthesis of Chinese landscape painting with Japanese aesthetics. Yukinobu is not merely depicting a hawk but also engaging with philosophical ideas about nature, power, and perception. The seemingly simple image becomes a complex interplay of representation and symbolism, inviting ongoing interpretation and reflection.
Comments
This painting of a hawk perched on the branch of an old tree and possibly eyeing some prey below was once the left half of a pair of paintings (see its original mate below). The hawk’s feathers, meticulously rendered in fine brushwork over various shades of ink wash, reflect the influence of artist Kano Yukinobu’s better-known older brother, Kano Motonobu (1476–1559), the second-generation head of the powerful Kano house, which dominated Japanese painting circles from the 1500s to 1800s. A key subject in the Kano repertoire, birds of prey were symbols of power and might that would have appealed to one of the Kano house’s military patrons.
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