Flowers of Autumn [left of a pair of Flowers of Summer and Autumn] by Tawaraya Sōsetsu

Flowers of Autumn [left of a pair of Flowers of Summer and Autumn] c. 17th century

abstract painting

water colours

japan

possibly oil pastel

handmade artwork painting

oil painting

fluid art

painting painterly

watercolour bleed

watercolour illustration

watercolor

"Flowers of Autumn [left of a pair of Flowers of Summer and Autumn]" is a 17th century hanging scroll by Tawaraya Sōsetsu, currently housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. This artwork showcases the artist's mastery of ink and color, capturing the delicate beauty of autumn flowers and plants with a focus on elegant, simplified brushstrokes. The painting features vibrant, white blossoms alongside other fall blooms in shades of blue, red, and yellow. The artist's signature style adds to the work's artistic merit. This piece provides a glimpse into Japanese art from the Edo period, showcasing the harmonious relationship between nature and art.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Colorful wildflowers of summer and autumn abound in this pair of hanging scrolls by an early painter of the Rinpa school, a lineage of painters of the Edo period (1603–1868) that engaged with classical Japanese themes and designs to create a distinctively decorative style of painting. The right scroll is dominated by large white cockscomb, blue gentians and irises, and red azaleas. At left orange lilies, red magnolia, and white clematis bloom beneath the branch of a chestnut tree. Sōsetsu was a follower of Sōtatsu, the leader of the Tawaraya studio now seen as the progenitor of Rinpa-style painting. Sōsetsu also used his master’s large, round seal (read “I’nen”) that can be seen on the lower outside corners of each of the present scrolls.