Artwork
Flowers and Grasses
Flowers and Grasses is an unspecified painting by the Rinpa school artist Kitagawa Sōsetsu. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
History & Provenance
The painting was acquired by the museum in 1968 as part of its Japanese art holdings, reflecting a broader institutional interest in Edo-period works.
Flowers and Grasses is a painting created in 1650 by Kitagawa Sōsetsu, a Japanese artist active during the mid-17th century. The work was produced in Japan and later entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains on view.
The painting was acquired by the museum in 1968 as part of its Japanese art holdings, reflecting a broader institutional interest in Edo-period works.
Flowers and Grasses is held in the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland, Ohio, under accession number 1968.193, reflecting its acquisition by the museum in 1968. The work is a painting dated to 1650 by the Japanese artist Kitagawa Sōsetsu. The sources do not record any exhibition history for the piece beyond its entry into the museum’s collection. It continues to be part of the museum’s permanent holdings today.
Overview
Created around 1650 by Kitagawa Sōsetsu, Flowers and Grasses is a multi‑panel painting now in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work presents a series of vertical panels that together form a continuous, informal study of wild vegetation, set against a muted, neutral ground tone.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts an unstructured assortment of stems, leaves, blossoms and berries, some rendered in delicate white, others in vivid red. The plants appear to grow without imposed order, suggesting a spontaneous observation of nature rather than a formal garden scene, and inviting contemplation of the fleeting, untamed aspects of the natural world.
Technique & Style
Sōsetsu employs a restrained palette dominated by soft greens, earthy browns and pale whites, punctuated by occasional red accents. Brushwork is loose and gestural, resembling rapid sketches that capture the essence of each plant rather than precise detail. The overall effect is one of immediacy, emphasizing texture and color over meticulous rendering.
Artist & collection
