Accession Number
1990/1.206

Title
White Egrets under a Tree

Artist(s)
Nishiyama Kan'ei

Object Creation Date
2nd half of 19th century

Medium & Support
ink and color on paper

Dimensions
45 1/4 in x 20 7/8 in (115 cm x 53 cm)

Credit Line
Museum Purchase made possible by the Friends of the Museum of Art

Subject matter
Nishiyama Kan'ai is "a skillful painter of landscapes and kachōga."

Roberts, Laurance Page, and John M. Rosenfield. A Dictionary of Japanese Artists: Painting, Sculpture, Ceramics, Prints, Lacquer. Weatherhill, 2000.

"Japanese art has a rich tradition in the depiction of flora and fauna. Until the 17^thcentury powerful and myth-like creatures such as dragons, phoenixes, lion dogs, birds of prey and tigers were portrayed as aggressive. This changed however when the influence of the samurai subsided and urban culture began to develop. Rich merchants sought refinement and a sympathetic style and in the artistic rendition of nature docile animals in subtle well-balanced compositions emerged. Flowers and birds became popular subjects, not only for their esthetic beauty but for their symbolic significance as well.
The literal meaning of the Japanese word kachō-ga is ‘images of flowers and birds’. Richly coloured flowers and birds are the focal point of this exhibition that illustrates the origin and development of this decorative genre. Colourful plants and animals embellish the screens, scrolls, albums, illustrated books, fan-shaped prints and graphs dating back to the 18^th and 20^th century."

“Kachō-Ga. The Poetry of Japanese Nature.” Sieboldhuis, 13 Feb. 2019, www.sieboldhuis.org/en/exhibitions/kachōga-de-poëzie-van-de-japanse-natuur.

Physical Description
There are two white egrets standing next to each other in the water, one is looking foreward while the other is pecking at itself. Beside them is a tree with branches and green leaves hanging above them.

Primary Object Classification
Painting

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
Egretta (genus)
sketches
trees