Artwork
瓜に鼠図|Rats and Gourd
瓜に鼠図|Rats and Gourd 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. Kawanabe Kyōsai's Rats and Gourd, created around 1887, is an album leaf rendered in ink and color on silk.
- Accession no.
- 14.76.61.23
- Credit line
- Charles Stewart Smith Collection, Gift of Mrs. Charles Stewart Smith, Charles Stewart Smith Jr., and Howard Caswell Smith, in memory of Charles Stewart Smith, 1914
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The imagery remains grounded in the direct depiction of these three components within the Japanese artistic context of the late nineteenth century.
Created in 1887 by Kawanabe Kyōsai, this album leaf presents a still-life composition featuring a gourd alongside a rat (Rattus) and a bird. Executed in ink and color on silk, the work focuses on these specific natural elements as its primary subject matter. While the piece is classified within the still-life genre, the provided records identify the depicted entities strictly as the gourd, the rodent, and the avian figure without elaborating on specific symbolic narratives or broader representational meanings associated with their interaction.
The imagery remains grounded in the direct depiction of these three components within the Japanese artistic context of the late nineteenth century.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1887, the painting is an album leaf composed with ink and light color on silk, employing the refined boneless technique typical of late Edo literati-inspired modes. Kyōsai rendered the gourd’s swelling form through subtle gradations of ink wash, while the mice and bird are drawn with delicate line and minimal color to heighten their presence against the pale ground. The composition balances organic swelling against linear articulation, achieving a still-life poise that foregrounds the gourd’s symbolic ripeness and the creatures’ quiet vitality.
Handling is deft yet restrained, with ink pooling used sparingly to suggest volume without obscuring the silk’s luminous surface.
History & Provenance
The album leaf Rats and Gourd is dated to 1887, aligning with Kyōsai’s late period, and depicts a gourd, a bird, and two rats in ink and color on silk. The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is recorded as measuring 36.2 cm in height and 27.6 cm in width, with its creation attributed to Kyōsai in 1887. No documented commission or pre-creation provenance prior to its acquisition by the museum is provided in the available records.
The painting Rats and Gourd, created by Kawanabe Kyōsai in 1887, is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. While specific accession numbers are not detailed in the available records, the work is cataloged as an album leaf executed in ink and color on silk, measuring 36.2 cm in height and 27.6 cm in width. The piece depicts a rat, a bird, and a gourd, originating from Japan.
No specific exhibition history or provenance details regarding prior ownership or public display dates are provided in the current source documentation.
Overview
Kawanabe Kyōsai's Rats and Gourd, created around 1887, is an album leaf rendered in ink and color on silk. This painting exemplifies the artist's distinctive approach to traditional Japanese subjects. The composition centers on a still life arrangement featuring a plump gourd and two active rats.
Kyōsai, recognized for his individualistic style and mastery of established painting techniques, was also a noted caricaturist working in the late 19th century.
Context
Created in the late 19th century, Rats and Gourd emerged during a period of significant cultural transformation in Japan, as the nation began to engage more extensively with Western influences. Kawanabe Kyōsai is often considered a pivotal figure, representing the culmination of traditional Japanese painting practices even as new artistic currents began to emerge. His work reflects a continued dedication to established forms amidst a changing world.
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".
