Artwork
Rock and Bamboo (Chikuseki zu)
Rock and Bamboo (Chikuseki zu) is an unspecified painting by the Nanga artist Ki-en. It dates from 1731 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Created in 1731, this hanging scroll portrays a simple yet dynamic composition of bamboo and a solitary rock.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a bamboo grove, a subject rooted in East Asian visual tradition where bamboo symbolizes resilience, integrity, and scholarly virtue.
The painting depicts a bamboo grove, a subject rooted in East Asian visual tradition where bamboo symbolizes resilience, integrity, and scholarly virtue. Attributed to Ki-en and dated 1731, the work reflects the artist's engagement with literati aesthetics and the symbolic language of nature in Edo-period painting.
The composition shows a solitary bamboo stalk emerging from a rocky outcrop, a motif that combines natural elements to convey harmony and endurance. The inclusion of bamboo, often associated with the scholar's ideal character, reinforces themes of moral steadfastness amidst adversity. This symbolic use of nature aligns with broader artistic currents in 18th-century Japan, where depictions of rocks and bamboo were not merely representational but carried philosophical weight.
The work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection and was made in Japan, underscoring its cultural and historical context within the East Asian artistic tradition.
Technique & Style
The work is an ink-on-silk hanging scroll created by Ki-en in 1731 in Japan. It depicts Bambusoideae and is classified as a painting, likely employing traditional East Asian brushwork to render the bamboo motif.
The painting is executed on silk, a support commonly used for hanging scrolls in Japanese ink painting. Its composition emphasizes vertical rhythm and negative space, reflecting stylistic principles associated with the Nanga school. The handling and condition of the work are consistent with aged silk supports, though specific conservation details are not provided in the sources.
History & Provenance
Rock and Bamboo (Chikuseki zu) is a painting by Ki-en dated to 1731, produced in Japan. The work subsequently entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is held today. The painting's inception year of 1731 marks the creation date recorded for the work.
The painting Rock and Bamboo (Chikuseki zu) by Ki-en (Yanagisawa Kien) is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It is recorded with the accession number 1975.263.18.
The work was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1975 during the display titled Five Album Leaves by Kien from the Hara Collection.
Context
Yanagisawa Kien painted Rock and Bamboo (Chikuseki zu) in 1731, depicting bamboo from the Bambusoideae subfamily. The work belongs to the broader tradition of Japanese ink painting and reflects contemporary scholarly interest in botanical subjects. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Scholarship on the piece emphasizes its technical mastery within the Nanga school and its contribution to ecological representation in Edo-period art. The painting's precise botanical detail aligns with period scientific illustration practices while maintaining artistic abstraction.
Contextual analysis places it within Ki-en's oeuvre of nature studies, where he combined observational accuracy with poetic minimalism, influencing later environmental motifs in modern Japanese art.
Overview
Created in 1731, this hanging scroll portrays a simple yet dynamic composition of bamboo and a solitary rock. The work is attributed to the Edo‑period painter Ki‑en and is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Its restrained palette and open sky background emphasize the contrast between the slender vegetation and the solid stone.
Artist & collection
