Poppies

Kitagawa Sōsetsu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This work is traditionally attributed to Kitagawa Sōsetsu, one of the top pupils of Tawaraya Sōtatsu, who is recognized as the founder of Rinpa, a school of painting famous for stylized and often colorful depictions of natural forms. But exactly who created this composition is hard to pin down since a number of Tawaraya Sōtatsu’s pupils appear to have used “I’nen” seals, similar to the one found on this painting. The stock-in-trade of the artists who used the “I’nen” seal at this time were screens, scrolls, and fans lavishly painted with trees, plants, or flowers, as seen here. As with all Rinpa vegetal motifs, there is a balance between stylization and naturalism. The plants are identifiable but reflect a decorative intent, for they seem completely detached from any real landscape.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art