White Mice c. 1880s

drawing, print, ink-on-paper, ink

portrait

drawing

animal

print

asian-art

ukiyo-e

figuration

ink-on-paper

ink

line

"White Mice" is a delicate ink drawing on paper by the renowned Japanese artist Shibata Zeshin, created in the 1880s. Zeshin, known for his mastery of various art forms, captures the playful nature of mice with minimalist strokes. The composition features five mice, their rounded forms and slender tails rendered with economy and precision. The work exemplifies Zeshin's expertise in portraying animals in their natural settings, highlighting the beauty of everyday creatures. The artwork, now housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, showcases Zeshin's ability to imbue his subjects with life and personality.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Capitalizing on the delicate ink tonalities of traditional ink painting, Zeshin created this woodblock print composition of white mice. Mice have long been emblematic of fertility in Japan, and white mice were considered especially auspicious. In Japanese folklore, Daikokuten, the god of agriculture, employs white mice as his messengers. In commemoration of the Year of the Rat in the Asian astrological calendar, artists created the images featuring white mice. It is likely that Zeshin was commissioned to produce this image for such an occasion.