Who painted 牧童図扇面|Herd Boy with Ox?

牧童図扇面|Herd Boy with Ox was painted by Kano Masanobu 狩野正信 in late 15th century.

Where can I see 牧童図扇面|Herd Boy with Ox?

牧童図扇面|Herd Boy with Ox is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 牧童図扇面|Herd Boy with Ox?

牧童図扇面|Herd Boy with Ox is associated with Kanō school.

Artwork

牧童図扇面|Herd Boy with Ox

Kano Masanobu 狩野正信 , 1483

牧童図扇面|Herd Boy with Ox is an ink painting by the Kanō school artist Kano Masanobu 狩野正信. It dates from 1483 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Kano Masanobu created Herd Boy with Ox in 1483.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The work depicts a genre scene featuring a boy and oxen, a subject rooted in East Asian artistic tradition.

The work depicts a genre scene featuring a boy and oxen, a subject rooted in East Asian artistic tradition. While the specific narrative action is not detailed in the available records, the pairing of a herder with cattle typically symbolizes pastoral simplicity and harmony with nature. Created in 1483 in Japan, the image utilizes ink and gold on paper to render these figures.

The composition focuses entirely on the interaction between the human figure and the animals, representing a moment of rural life rather than a religious or courtly event.

Technique & Style

The work known as 牧童図扇面 (Herd Boy with Ox) is a 1483 Japanese painting executed in ink and gold on paper. It began as a folding fan and was later mounted as a hanging scroll, merging portable fan support with the stability of a scroll. The composition belongs to the genre scene category and depicts a boy together with an ox, a motif recorded in the source.

The piece is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and exemplifies the style of the Kano school through its delicate line work and use of gold.

History & Provenance

Herd Boy with Ox was created in 1483 in Japan, executed in ink and gold on paper as a folding fan later mounted as a hanging scroll. The work is attributed to Kano Masanobu (狩野正信), a founder of the Kano school of painting.

The painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently held. Beyond its acquisition by the museum, the earlier ownership history and any intermediate provenance are not documented in the available sources.

Overview

Kano Masanobu created Herd Boy with Ox in 1483. This painting, originally a folding fan, is now presented as a hanging scroll. Executed in ink and gold on paper, it portrays a genre scene featuring a boy guiding a large ox.

The artwork exemplifies the artist's early style and the innovative use of a functional object as a canvas for fine art, reflecting the aesthetic preferences of its era.

Legacy

Kano Masanobu, the creator of Herd Boy with Ox, is recognized for establishing the influential Kano school of painting. This family workshop, which he founded, would go on to dominate Japanese art for over three centuries. His innovative approach to integrating Chinese painting styles with Japanese aesthetics, as seen in works like this, laid the groundwork for a lineage of artists who shaped the visual culture of Japan for generations.

Artist & collection

Artist

Kano Masanobu 狩野正信

Kano Masanobu (about 1434 to 1530) was a Japanese painter of the Muromachi period and the founder of the Kano school, which would dominate Japanese painting for some three centuries.