Goose and Reeds; Willows in the Moonlight

Maruyama Ōkyo 円山応挙

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A goose, wings half spread, swoops toward the surface of the water in the right-hand screen. The only indications of a shore are tops of spindly reeds bending beneath the wind in the lower right corner and waves cresting close by. On the left screen, willow trees by a river and the moon’s reflection on the surface of the water offer a more quietly lyrical view. In both, the viewpoint is low and pictorial elements are close to the viewer, giving the background space a feeling of great depth. Although they have been handed down as a pair, dates inscribed by Maruyama Ōkyo on each screen are some two decades apart. Ōkyo, founder of the Maruyama-Shijō school, blended Western-style realism with elements from Japanese and Chinese traditions of painting in a manner that made him one of the most popular artists of his day.

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