Artwork
宋紫山筆 嵐に鶏図|Rooster in a Storm
宋紫山筆 嵐に鶏図|Rooster in a Storm is an ink painting by the Nanga artist Sō Shizan. It dates from 1783 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting is a hanging scroll executed in ink, color, and gold on silk in 1783, and its subject matter includes rain alongside the bird.
The work, titled "Rooster in a Storm," shows a rooster set within a rainy, tempestuous atmosphere. The painting is a hanging scroll executed in ink, color, and gold on silk in 1783, and its subject matter includes rain alongside the bird. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the piece, which originates from Japan.
By pairing a domestic fowl with a storm, the composition foregrounds the bird's presence amid adverse weather. No additional symbolic interpretation is provided in the cited documentation.
Technique & Style
Created in 1783, Rooster in a Storm is executed as a hanging scroll on silk. The artist, Sō Shizan, employed a combination of ink, color, and gold leaf to depict the scene. This mixed-media approach allows for the rendering of atmospheric elements, specifically rain, alongside the central figure of a rooster.
The work represents a Japanese painting tradition utilizing these specific materials to convey the dynamic interaction between the bird and the storm.
History & Provenance
Created in 1783 by the Japanese artist Sō Shizan, this hanging scroll depicts a rooster amid a storm, executed in ink, color, and gold on silk. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The available sources do not specify an accession number, the circumstances of its commission, its earlier ownership, or any exhibition history.
Overview
Sō Shizan's "Rooster in a Storm," created in 1783, is a hanging scroll rendered with ink, color, and gold on silk. This painting captures a single rooster amidst a downpour, its form detailed against the turbulent weather. The artwork exemplifies the artist's ability to imbue a natural scene with dramatic intensity, presenting a vivid moment of resilience and tension within the animal world.
Context
This artwork was commissioned by a samurai lord known for breeding fighting cocks. This patronage provides a significant context for the painting's subject, suggesting an appreciation for the rooster's inherent qualities of strength, vigilance, and readiness for confrontation. The depiction of the bird's intense focus and resilience in the storm likely resonated with the values associated with these prized animals and their owners.
Artist & collection
