Insects, Birds, and Accompanying Poems,

completed ca. 1896

Collaborative paintings in Japan were not rare, but one containing the contributions of some 120 painters, calligraphers, poets, monks, educators, and officials is quite astonishing. Leading artists in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were known to host gatherings in which the talented attendees joined in painting and calligraphy on the spot. Each artist would paint or write a part of the composition, after which they might add their name, nickname, cipher, or seal. This painting may have originated at such a gathering. Completed in 1896, the work likely evolved over the course of many years as different artists contributed to it. Executed on a relatively large piece of silk, this collaborative effort probably served a purpose beyond the artwork itself. For example, it may have helped to cement friendships or allegiances within a circle of artists drawn together by family tradition, workshop affiliation, or artistic sensibility.