Banana Leaves
In a bold, graphic composition, overlapping leaves of a banana plant with have been rendered in expanses of pale gray ink and the so-called sujime-gaki, or “white-line drawing,technique. To achieve this effect, the artist carefully applied moist brushstrokes to the soft and absorbent gasenshi paper in such a way as to leave a narrow, unpainted space between them, resembling a white line.
Itō Jakuchū was counted as one of the Three Eccentrics of the Edo period, together with Soga Shōhaku (1730– 1781) and Nagasawa Rosetsu (1754–1799). Born the eldest son of a wholesale grocer in Kyoto, Jakuchū inherited the family business and ran it for more than fifteen years. It was not until he reached his late thirties that he began to paint full-time.
The round seal reading “Lay Buddhist devotee Jakuchū” is the one the artist cherished and used most, especially during his late career, but it also appears on works created by his pupils, so caution must be exercised in separating studio creations from those of the master. For reasons unknown, there has always been a break in the circular outline on the left side of this seal; a second small break, on the right side, begins to appear in later works, as here. The vertical rectangular seal above it, “Seal of Tō (Fujiwara),” was also a favorite of Jakuchū’s. The seal in the lower left corner reading Senga zeppitsu can be interpreted to mean, “a thousand paintings, each one [created as if it were] my last one”—certainly a sentiment shared by many artists.
Itō Jakuchū was counted as one of the Three Eccentrics of the Edo period, together with Soga Shōhaku (1730– 1781) and Nagasawa Rosetsu (1754–1799). Born the eldest son of a wholesale grocer in Kyoto, Jakuchū inherited the family business and ran it for more than fifteen years. It was not until he reached his late thirties that he began to paint full-time.
The round seal reading “Lay Buddhist devotee Jakuchū” is the one the artist cherished and used most, especially during his late career, but it also appears on works created by his pupils, so caution must be exercised in separating studio creations from those of the master. For reasons unknown, there has always been a break in the circular outline on the left side of this seal; a second small break, on the right side, begins to appear in later works, as here. The vertical rectangular seal above it, “Seal of Tō (Fujiwara),” was also a favorite of Jakuchū’s. The seal in the lower left corner reading Senga zeppitsu can be interpreted to mean, “a thousand paintings, each one [created as if it were] my last one”—certainly a sentiment shared by many artists.
Artwork Details
- 芭蕉図 (Bashō zu)
- Title: Banana Leaves
- Artist: Itō Jakuchū 伊藤若冲 (Japanese, 1716–1800)
- Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
- Date: 1790s
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 43 1/2 × 16 7/8 in. (110.5 × 42.9 cm)
Overall with mounting: 76 7/8 × 21 1/2 in. (195.3 × 54.6 cm)
Overall with knobs: 76 7/8 × 23 5/8 in. (195.3 × 60 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2020
- Object Number: 2020.396.35
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Itō Jakuchū 伊藤若冲
ca. 1900
Itō Jakuchū 伊藤若冲
mid-18th century, before 1766
Kano Tan'yū
mid-17th century
Japan
late 17th century
Kaihō Yūsetsu
mid-17th century
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.