Waterfall late 19th-early 20th century

hanging-scroll

natural shape and form

snowscape

charcoal drawing

japan

possibly oil pastel

charcoal art

hanging-scroll

pencil drawing

tonal art

charcoal

watercolor

shadow overcast

Watanabe Seitei's *Waterfall* (late 19th-early 20th century) is a striking example of Japanese ink painting, also known as *suibokuga*. The artwork depicts a cascading waterfall, captured with delicate brushstrokes and subtle washes of ink. This evocative portrayal of nature highlights Seitei's mastery of the *sumi-e* technique, which utilizes black ink to create a sense of depth and movement. The artwork's minimalist composition and ethereal atmosphere convey a profound sense of tranquility, characteristic of Japanese aesthetics. The piece is currently housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Japanese painters in the 1800s and early 1900s sometimes extended their artistry to the borders surrounding the painting, rather than leaving the job to a professional to mount the painting on silks. For this painting of a waterfall on silk, Watanabe Seitei created a mounting by piecing together sheets of indigo-dyed paper and then applying copper and silver paint. In his youth Seitei trained under several famous painters, including briefly under Shibata Zeshin. Seitei was among the first Japanese painters to travel to Europe when he visited Paris in his late twenties.