Untitled

Nakabayashi Chikutō

ca. 1840 · Hanging scroll; ink on paper · Asian Art

The characteristic decorative quality of Chikutō's painting is amply evident here in the rhythmic arrangement of the herons, boldly framed by their snowy perch. The stark black-and-white contrasts and the repetitive patterns of horizontal washes that define the white forms of the birds and branches further contribute to an effect of graphic elegance. Chikutō, born a doctor's son in Nagoya, moved in 1815 to Kyoto, where he joined the circle of the nanga artist Rai Sanyō (1780–1832).

Artist

Nakabayashi Chikutō

Date

ca. 1840

Medium

Hanging scroll; ink on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975