Artwork
Summer Night; Winter Day
Summer Night; Winter Day is an unspecified painting by the Ukiyo-e artist Maruyama Ōkyo. It dates from 1792 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
History & Provenance
Maruyama Ōkyo's painting Summer Night; Winter Day, dated 1784, is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland. The work carries the museum's accession number 1973.156. While the source confirms the artwork's location and inventory details, it does not provide a record of specific exhibitions or loan history for this piece.
Legacy
Maruyama Ōkyo's pair of screens depicting Summer Night; Winter Day exerted significant influence on subsequent Japanese painting traditions, particularly shaping the evolution of screen painting and the broader decorative arts within the Edo period's visual culture. The work's innovative composition and atmospheric treatment established a precedent that resonated through later artistic developments, contributing to the enduring legacy of Edo-period screen painting and its impact on subsequent decorative practices.
Overview
Created in 1792 by the Japanese painter Maruyama Ōkyo, Summer Night; Winter Day is a diptych that juxtaposes two contrasting landscapes. The work is part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is displayed as an example of Edo‑period experimentation with atmospheric effects.
Subject & Meaning
The left panel depicts a nocturnal scene illuminated by a waning moon, with mist‑shrouded hills and a still river that convey a sense of quiet mystery. The right panel shifts to daylight, showing a modest pond bordered by trees under a pale sky, suggesting a tranquil, awakened morning.
Technique & Style
Ōkyo employs delicate brushwork and subtle gradations of ink to render the differing light conditions. The contrast between the soft, muted tones of the night and the clearer, brighter palette of the day reflects his interest in realistic observation combined with a poetic rendering of nature.
Artist & collection
Artist
Maruyama Ōkyo (円山 応挙; Japanese pronunciation: , June 12, 1733 – August 31, 1795), born Maruyama Masataka, was a Japanese artist active in the late 18th century.
