Lovers Beside Flowering Autumn Grasses

Lovers Beside Flowering Autumn Grasses

Hishikawa Moronobu 菱川師宣

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Moronobu's recurrent depictions of lovers in amorous poses allowed him to merge graphic and emotive qualities. Their physical and lyrical integration is heightened by the sinuous, animated lines and the play of the black and white patterning in the robes. As if to suggest the completeness of each sheet, the prolific book illustrator Moronobu framed the composition with a black-line border embellished with chrysanthemum-like ornaments at the upper corners.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.