Flowers of Spring and Autumn

Ogata Kōrin

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

On the right-hand panel, white plum blossoms, a harbinger of spring, stand out against fine-grained wood and the stark branches of a leafless tree. The companion panel features flowers and grasses of late summer and early autumn: morning glories, pampas grasses, white and blue bellflowers, and exuberant white, pink, and red chrysanthemums. Flowers of Spring and Autumn combines the highly stylized renditions of natural elements for which Kōrin became famous and the ink painting in the Chinese style that was the foundation of his artistic training. The signature “Hokkyō Kōrin” appears in the right-hand panel’s lower right corner, and both panels bear the artist’s distinctive round seal reading “Koresuke.” The brushwork and signature style suggest that this diptych dates to just after Kōrin was granted the honorific title Hokkyō (Bridge of the Law).

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