Monkeys by a Stream
1796
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1796
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Monkeys by a Stream is a 1796 unspecified by Nagasawa Rosetsu, a Nihonga work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
Two monkeys sit on a rock above a rushing stream. One swings a leg over the edge; the other stares straight at you. Rosetsu painted them with quick, confident strokes—ink washes for the water, bold lines for fur. The monkeys feel alive, not posed. The scene is simple, but the way the light and dark shapes play together makes it feel deep. Look up more works from the Edo period (1615–1868) to see how other artists brought animals to life.
The two monkeys in this painting are Japanese macaques. The one in front dangles its left leg over a sharply angled rock, surveying the land beyond a fast-moving mountain stream. A smaller monkey sits behind it, looking directly ahead as if it realizes it is being watched. The artist used just a few highly contrasting warm and cool colors, sweeping brushstrokes over ink washes, and loose lines to create a scene that powerfully evokes the mentally engaged state of the two animals.
Monkeys, which are found throughout the mountainous and wooded areas of Japan, became a favorite subject of many later Japanese artists.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Nagasawa Rosetsu (長沢芦雪; 1754–1799) was a Japanese painter during the Edo period. A disciple of the Maruyama School, he was known for his versatile artistic style. He was born to the family of a low-ranking samurai. He…
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
