Artwork
伊藤若沖筆 葡萄双鶏図|Hen and Rooster with Grapevine
伊藤若沖筆 葡萄双鶏図|Hen and Rooster with Grapevine is an ink painting by the Nihonga artist Itō Jakuchū. It dates from 1792 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Two hens and a rooster stand beneath a grapevine heavy with fat purple grapes. Itō Jakuchū painted the scroll late in life, in 1792, using bright mineral colors and careful shading on silk. The birds look true to life while the colors pop like a child's box of toys.
Subject & Meaning
The visual narrative is strictly limited to these depicted entities, presenting them as the primary iconographic components of the hanging scroll.
The work depicts a rooster and a hen positioned beneath a grapevine, creating a scene that blends avian life with botanical elements. Created in 1792 by Itō Jakuchū, the painting focuses on the naturalistic representation of these specific subjects: a rooster, a hen, and grapes. While the composition centers on these tangible figures, the genre is classified as still life, emphasizing the detailed observation of the animals and the fruit.
The visual narrative is strictly limited to these depicted entities, presenting them as the primary iconographic components of the hanging scroll. The artwork serves as a study of these forms, capturing the interaction between the poultry and the vegetation without introducing additional allegorical figures or complex mythological references in the available records.
Technique & Style
The work is a hanging scroll executed in ink and polychrome pigments on silk, a support typical of Itō Jakuchū’s bird-and-flower paintings from the late Edo period. The composition depicts a rooster, hen and grapevine in a balanced vertical format, employing fine brush lines and subtle color washes that emphasize the tactile quality of the silk ground. As a hanging scroll, it would have been displayed with scroll rods and handled minimally to preserve the delicate pigment layer.
The piece dates to 1792 and was created in Japan, later entering the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
Created in 1792 in Japan, 伊藤若沖筆 葡萄双鶏図|Hen and Rooster with Grapevine is a hanging scroll painted in ink and color on silk. The work depicts a rooster, chicken, and grapevine, reflecting the still‑life genre associated with Itō Jakuchū. It entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on display, establishing its current provenance.
Documentation from the museum records the inception date as 1792‑01‑01 and confirms its creation in Japan. No information regarding a specific commission or patronage is provided in the cited sources.
The hanging scroll Hen and Rooster with Grapevine by Itō Jakuchū is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as recorded in its Wikidata entry. Dated to 1792 and executed in ink and color on silk, the work is classified within the museum's paintings holdings. No specific accession number, acquisition date, or prior exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Hen and Rooster with Grapevine is a hanging scroll painted by Itō Jakuchū in 1792, near the end of his life. Executed in ink and color on silk, the work depicts a rooster and a hen standing beneath a grapevine heavy with clusters of purple fruit. Jakuchū employs a distinctive technique that blends meticulous observation of natural forms with vibrant, non-naturalistic hues.
The birds are rendered with precise attention to feather texture and anatomical structure, yet their plumage features bright mineral colors that create a striking, almost toy-like visual impact against the dark background. This piece exemplifies Jakuchū's mature style, characterized by the synthesis of detailed realism and imaginative coloration. Created during the Edo period, the work reflects the artist's unique position outside the mainstream schools of his time, drawing inspiration from both Chinese painting traditions and close observation of the natural world.
The composition balances the organic curves of the grapevine with the grounded presence of the poultry, demonstrating Jakuchū's mastery of silk painting and his ability to infuse still-life subjects with dynamic energy.
Artist & collection
