Artwork
伊藤若冲筆 月下白梅図|White Plum Blossoms and Moon
伊藤若冲筆 月下白梅図|White Plum Blossoms and Moon is an ink painting by the Nihonga artist Itō Jakuchū. It dates from 1755 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a landscape composition, it captures a specific seasonal moment where the plum blossoms are illuminated by the lunar light.
The work depicts a white plum tree in full bloom set against a night sky featuring a prominent moon. Created in 1755, the painting focuses on the natural forms of the flower and tree, rendered in ink and color on silk. As a landscape composition, it captures a specific seasonal moment where the plum blossoms are illuminated by the lunar light.
The subject matter centers on the visual interplay between the delicate white flowers and the dark surroundings, emphasizing the tree as the primary element of the scene.
Technique & Style
Created in 1755, this hanging scroll by Itō Jakuchū depicts white plum blossoms and trees within a landscape setting. The work is executed using ink and color applied directly onto a silk support. As a painted composition, it utilizes traditional materials characteristic of Japanese art from this period to render floral and arboreal subjects.
History & Provenance
The work titled "White Plum Blossoms and Moon" (伊藤若冲筆 月下白梅図) is a hanging scroll painted in ink and color on silk by Itō Jakuchū in 1755, created in Japan and depicting a flowering plum tree within a landscape composition. It entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is held; no further commission details are recorded in the sources. While the museum's acquisition confirms its current location, the provided records do not specify an inventory or accession number for the piece, nor do they detail any past exhibitions or loan history.
Overview
This hanging scroll, titled "White Plum Blossoms and Moon," was created by the Japanese artist Itō Jakuchū in 1755. Rendered with ink and color on silk, the painting presents a solitary plum branch adorned with white blossoms, illuminated by the soft glow of a full moon. It exemplifies Jakuchū's approach to nature studies, combining precise observation with evocative atmospheric effects.
Artist & collection
