Artwork
Puppies, Sparrows, and Chrysanthemums
Puppies, Sparrows, and Chrysanthemums is an unspecified painting by the Nihonga artist Nagasawa Rosetsu. It dates from 1788 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The delicate handling of animal forms and floral motifs demonstrates the artist's signature blend of realism and poetic whimsy within the yamato-e tradition.
The work is an oil painting on silk, executed in Japan in 1776. Its composition features playful puppies alongside sparrows and chrysanthemums, rendered with loose brushwork and subtle color modulation characteristic of Nagasawa Rosetsu's late Edo period style. The delicate handling of animal forms and floral motifs demonstrates the artist's signature blend of realism and poetic whimsy within the yamato-e tradition.
The painting's condition remains stable, with the silk support showing minimal tension stress and the pigments exhibiting expected craquelure from age.
History & Provenance
Nagasawa Rosetsu created the painting Puppies, Sparrows, and Chrysanthemums in 1776. The work was produced in Japan during the artist's lifetime. It eventually entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is held under the accession number 1970.71.2.
No specific details regarding the original commission or intermediate owners in the chain of custody are provided in the available records.
Puppies, Sparrows, and Chrysanthemums is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, with inventory number 1970.71.2. The work was created in 1776 in Japan. It has been exhibited at the museum as part of its collection, though specific exhibition records are not detailed in the available sources.
Overview
Created in 1788 by Nagasawa Rosetsu, this small-scale painting titled Puppies, Sparrows, and Chrysanthemums is part of the collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The composition presents a sparse setting where a few sparrows hover near delicate branches while two puppies sit below, gazing upward. A minimalist background emphasizes the interaction of the animals and the subtle floral motif, rendered in a restrained palette of whites, grays, muted browns, with touches of pink and green.
Subject & Meaning
The work juxtaposes domestic and wild elements, puppies, birds, and chrysanthemum blossoms, to suggest a harmonious coexistence within nature. The attentive puppies and the fluttering sparrows create a quiet narrative of curiosity and observation, while the chrysanthemums, a symbol of longevity in Japanese culture, add a layer of seasonal reference. Together the figures convey a gentle liveliness that balances activity with serenity.
Context
Nagasawa Rosetsu was a prominent painter of the Edo period, known for his ability to blend realism with poetic simplicity. This piece reflects the era’s interest in genre scenes that celebrate everyday life and natural motifs. The inclusion of both animals and chrysanthemums aligns with contemporary artistic conventions that valued symbolic flora and fauna as carriers of cultural meaning.
Artist & collection
Artist
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…
