狩野伊川院栄信筆 岳陽楼図|Yueyang Pavilion

Kanō Isen’in Naganobu 狩野伊川院栄信

1823 · Pair of hanging scrolls; ink and color on silk · Asian Art

This diptych of colorful landscapes, meticulously detailed, showcases the expert abilities of Isen’in Naganobu, from the Kano school. The painter transformed famous Chinese poems into evocative imagery suited to his wealthy Japanese clientele. Illustrating a poem by Du Fu (712–770) about the famed Yueyang Pavilion, the scroll on the right depicts a grand Chinese pavilion by the water’s edge, at which a scholar-official awaits the arrival of a friend. The left-hand scroll shows two men drinking outdoors, a scene inspired by a poem about Dongting Lake by another figure of the Tang dynasty, Li Bai (701–762). Despite the contrast in settings—one refined and serene, the other rustic yet cheerful—both pieces celebrate the pleasure of immersing oneself in nature with friends.

Artist

Kanō Isen’in Naganobu 狩野伊川院栄信

Date

1823

Medium

Pair of hanging scrolls; ink and color on silk

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2022