Crow on a Tree 1607 - 1650

Kano Naonobu painted “Crow on a Tree” with ink on paper during the Edo period in Japan, when the Kano school of painting was at its peak. During this time, Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate, a period marked by relative peace and stability, but also strict social hierarchy and isolationist policies. Kano Naonobu was the head of the Kyoto branch of the Kano school and the brother of Kano Tan'yū, whose innovative painting style influenced the development of Japanese art. In "Crow on a Tree," the crow, rendered in stark black ink, is both isolated and intimately connected to its environment. It can be seen as a symbol of the individual's place within a larger social structure during the Edo period. The monochrome palette and minimalist composition reflect a Zen aesthetic, emphasizing simplicity and contemplation, yet, the starkness of the image hints at the loneliness of the human condition. The isolationist policies of the time may have contributed to a sense of introspection reflected in this type of art.