Pair of Ducks 1887 - 1892

"Pair of Ducks" (1887-1892) by Kawabata Gyokushō is a delicate ink-and-wash painting of two ducks on silk, a classic subject in Japanese art. The artist's masterful brushstrokes capture the graceful forms of the birds, their feathers rendered with subtle variations in tone. The ducks appear to be resting on a small pond, the suggestion of water conveyed with minimal strokes. The painting is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.