曽我二直庵筆　鷹図|Hawks

Soga Nichokuan

mid-17th century · Pair of hanging scrolls; ink on paper · Asian Art

The right-hand scroll of this pair depicts a hawk perched on a rock by a body of water, one leg flexed. A faint reference to a cliff face, executed in ink wash, appears in the background at right. The left-hand scroll features a hawk on an oak branch. The bird’s head is turned as though gazing at something beyond the picture frame. On both animals, the texture of the feathers is effectively conveyed through layered brushwork in various tones by Soga Nichokuan. Like his father, Soga Chokuan, Nichokuan specialized in avian subjects, particularly birds of prey.

Artist

Soga Nichokuan

Date

mid-17th century

Medium

Pair of hanging scrolls; ink on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2018