Currently not on view
Plum Blossoms,
mid-18th century
Information
mid-18th century
Asia, Japan
Plum Blossoms is a small hanging scroll and a classic example of the Nanga, or “Southern Painting,” School, of which Ike no Taiga was a prominent contributor. Nanga is also commonly known as the Bunjinga, or Literati School of painting.
In the painting, Taiga’s rough brushwork forms the thick trunk of a plum tree that rises from the bottom left corner of the scroll. The trunk branches off into the upper and lower sections of the scroll, leaving one narrow stem that reaches just to the top right corner. A smaller stem extends into the lower left corner. Taiga has depicted the leaves as dark spots of ink, and painted rounded flower petals in lighter and darker washes. The abstract ink tones and lighter wash create contrast, which renders depth and allows viewers to envision the texture of the branch, the layers of lighter, pink plum blossoms, and the three-dimensional space into which the branch grows.
Ike no Taiga was born in Kyoto in 1723, studied Chinese classics and calligraphy from an early age, and became an accomplished artist by the age of fourteen. He taught himself to paint in the Nanga style, and is considered one of Japan’s greatest literati artists. Taiga was also an accomplished calligrapher. Plum Blossoms reflects his ability in its rough yet precise brushwork and lack of affectation. These are also characteristics of Nanga or Bunjinga painting, which were influenced by Southern Song (1127–1279) paintings in China. Artists working during the Southern Song period were directly responding to the formal and technical Northern Song (960–1127) academic painting style, and sought to create works that could freely interpret or mimic the rhythm of nature. Plum Blossoms accomplishes this goal with its fluid manner. The subject of the painting is also a traditional symbol from Chinese arts: plum blossoms are considered to be one of the “four gentlemen,” or symbols of the four seasons. As plum blossoms are a symbol of winter and a sign of the coming spring, their beauty against winter snow represents perseverance and the ability to flourish in a harsh environment.
