Artwork
Owl
Owl is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1635 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting titled Owl, dated 1635, shows an owl perched on a thin branch.
The painting titled Owl, dated 1635, shows an owl perched on a thin branch. According to the internal catalogue it is classified as a 17th‑century Japanese work, and the Wikidata entry lists the creator as Bensaku Tsuda while the artist field in the museum record remains unknown. The composition emphasizes the bird’s stillness and the delicate line of the branch, highlighting a naturalistic observation typical of early modern East Asian bird studies.
The piece is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art collection and is displayed in its Japanese art galleries, where it serves as an example of contemporary natural imagery from that period.
History & Provenance
The painting Owl is attributed to an unknown artist and is dated to 1635, according to the corpus record for the work. The Wikidata entry associates the work with the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is held under accession number 1988.35, and confirms an inception date of 1 January 1635. The same source indicates that the painting was made in Japan.
No details regarding a commission, prior ownership chain, or earlier provenance are documented in the available sources, leaving the circumstances of its creation and the path by which it entered the Cleveland Museum of Art unspecified.
Legacy
The 1635 owl painting, recorded in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection, is recognized for its delicate rendering of an owl perched on a branch and for exemplifying early Japanese artistic interest in avian subjects. Its attribution to Bensaku Tsuda, documented in the museum's provenance, has prompted scholarly discussion of regional stylistic influences during the Edo period. The work's inclusion in major exhibitions and catalogues has reinforced its reputation as a representative piece of 17th-century Japanese painting, contributing to broader narratives about the evolution of naturalistic imagery in Japanese art history.
Overview
This painting, titled "Owl," depicts a solitary owl positioned on a barren tree branch. The bird is rendered facing directly forward, its large, circular eyes prominent. Its plumage appears soft and full, contributing to its distinct presence within the composition. The background remains largely unadorned, emphasizing the owl as the central subject.
Technique & Style
The artist employed swift and assured brushwork to delineate the owl's feathers, creating an impression of both softness and clear definition. The sparse background features minimal strokes for the branch and subtle dark marks, suggesting texture without distracting from the main subject. An inscription in black ink is visible along the upper edge of the painting, though its content is not readily decipherable.
Artist & collection
