Deer 1800 - 1858

Suzuki Kiitsu created this painting of a deer on silk in nineteenth-century Japan. Deers are a common subject in Japanese art and they often symbolize longevity and prosperity. In this painting, the artist pays close attention to the animal's anatomy, capturing its graceful posture and delicate features. The deer stands near bamboo, a plant that is also a symbol of resilience and good fortune in Japanese culture. During the Edo period, when this painting was made, Japan was ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate, a military dictatorship that enforced a strict social hierarchy and promoted a policy of isolationism. However, this policy wasn't absolute and artists like Kiitsu were influenced by Western art and culture through trade with the Dutch. This painting reflects the aesthetic values and cultural traditions of the time, but the historian must remember that they are always shaped by political and economic forces. Old exhibition catalogues and auction records can tell us more about the social history of this evocative image.