Artwork
木に鴉図|Crow on a Branch
木に鴉図|Crow on a Branch is an ink painting by the Impressionist artist Kawanabe Kyōsai 河鍋暁斎. It dates from 1887 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The artwork is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s holdings of Japanese paintings.
The painting titled 木に鴉図 (Crow on a Branch) was created by Kawanabe Kyōsai in 1887 using ink and color on silk. It is classified as a landscape work within the Japanese painting tradition and portrays a crow perched on a branch, a subject recorded as a bird in the catalogue. The artwork is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s holdings of Japanese paintings.
Technique & Style
The work is executed on a silk support as an album leaf, employing ink with delicate pigment washes characteristic of Kawanabe Kyōsai’s late‑period technique. Fine brush lines define the bird’s outline, while muted color accents suggest foliage and sky, creating a sense of depth through layered washes rather than stark contrast.
The composition isolates a solitary crow perched on a slender branch, emphasizing negative space and a quiet, contemplative mood.
History & Provenance
Crow on a Branch was created by Kawanabe Kyōsai in 1887 in Japan, executed as an album leaf in ink and color on silk. The painting subsequently entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently held.
The artwork Crow on a Branch by Kawanabe Kyōsai is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Created in 1887, this album leaf executed in ink and color on silk is cataloged within the museum's holdings as a Japanese painting depicting a bird. The piece measures 36.2 cm in height and 27.3 cm in width. No specific accession number or exhibition history is detailed in the provided sources.
Overview
Created circa 1887, Crow on a Branch is an album leaf painted by Kawanabe Kyōsai, a Japanese artist noted for his individualistic approach within the nihonga tradition. Executed on silk with ink and color, the work presents a solitary crow perched on a curved branch against a muted sky, rendered in a swift, gestural manner.
Artist & collection
Artist
Kawanabe Kyōsai (河鍋 暁斎; May 18, 1831 – April 26, 1889) was a Japanese painter and caricaturist. In the words of art historian Timothy Clark, "an individualist and an independent, perhaps the last virtuoso in traditional Japanese painting".
