Bamboo and Rocks
Yanagisawa Kien demonstrates his mastery in this painting of bamboo and rocks. The confident brushwork appears spontaneous, yet subtle draft outlines reveal the artist’s meticulous compositional planning. A light blue wash—rare in Kien’s corpus—provides a backdrop to the monochrome elements in the foreground, enhancing the sense of spatial depth.
Kien was born into a high-ranking samurai family. While serving as a feudal official he practiced a variety of artistic pursuits, excelling particularly in painting and calligraphy. He interacted widely with scholars and artists of his time, inspiring subsequent generations of literati painters in Japan.
Kien was born into a high-ranking samurai family. While serving as a feudal official he practiced a variety of artistic pursuits, excelling particularly in painting and calligraphy. He interacted widely with scholars and artists of his time, inspiring subsequent generations of literati painters in Japan.
Artwork Details
- 柳沢淇園筆 竹石図
- Title: Bamboo and Rocks
- Artist: Yanagisawa Kien (Japanese, 1703–1758)
- Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
- Date: ca. 1750–58
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
- Dimensions: Image: 44 5/16 × 21 1/4 in. (112.6 × 54 cm)
Overall with mounting: 79 1/8 × 26 9/16 in. (201 × 67.5 cm)
Overall with knobs: 79 1/8 × 28 11/16 in. (201 × 72.9 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2018
- Object Number: 2018.853.23
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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Yanagisawa Kien
first half of the 18th century
Kaihō Yūsetsu
mid-17th century
Itō Jakuchū
1755
Kano Tan'yū
mid-17th century
Japan
late 17th century
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