円山応挙筆 白鷺図|White Herons

Maruyama Ōkyo 円山応挙

1769 · Hanging scroll; ink on paper · Asian Art

Blank paper is left in reserve for the bodies of the herons, silhouetted by soft, misty wash rather than ink outline. Instead of depending on images from copybooks for inspiration, Maruyama Ōkyo, founder of the Maruyama-Shijo school and proponent of naturalism in painting, practiced sketching from life. He created images of birds, animals, and fish drawn from every angle, and captured the atmospheric effects of rain, mist, and snow.

Artist

Maruyama Ōkyo 円山応挙

Date

1769

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