Flowers and Birds of the Four Seasons

Flowers and Birds of the Four Seasons

Ikeda Koson

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The right-hand scroll depicts flowers of the spring and summer seasons; the left, flowers and foliage of autumn and winter. Both works are executed in subtle yet rich tones and soft washes of color; leaves, branches, and flowers are rendered in the “boneless” manner—devoid of outline—that was typical of established Rinpa style. In numerous areas pigments are pooled or puddled together to create a mottled effect, a technique known as tarashikomi. Among the more talented students of Sakai Hōitsu, Suzuki Kiitsu (1796–1858) is perhaps the most famous, but his younger contemporary Ikeda Koson was also an artist of great ability and dedication to the ideals of the Rinpa tradition. Koson was open to influences from other styles of painting, however; this pair of hanging scrolls owes much of its poetic appeal and its almost sensuous yet subdued colors to Koson’s Rinpa training.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Flowers and Birds of the Four SeasonsFlowers and Birds of the Four SeasonsFlowers and Birds of the Four SeasonsFlowers and Birds of the Four SeasonsFlowers and Birds of the Four Seasons

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.