Artwork
Oxherding
Oxherding is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1424 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1424 by the artist Sekkyakushi, this Japanese painting depicts a boy alongside oxen. The work functions as a visual representation of the Oxherding theme, a traditional subject in Zen Buddhism that utilizes the metaphor of searching for and taming an ox to illustrate the stages of spiritual enlightenment and the practitioner's journey toward self-realization.
Technique & Style
The handling is delicate yet assured, with fine linework defining the figures of the boy and oxen, while minimal washes suggest atmospheric depth.
The Oxherding painting, dated to 1424, is executed in ink and light color on paper, a medium characteristic of East Asian scroll paintings. The support is a handscroll, allowing for a continuous narrative composition. Stylistically, it reflects Muromachi-period Japanese ink painting traditions, emphasizing fluid brushwork and monochromatic tonal gradations to convey form and texture.
The handling is delicate yet assured, with fine linework defining the figures of the boy and oxen, while minimal washes suggest atmospheric depth. The condition of the work, as held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is not detailed in available sources, but its survival suggests preservation typical of scroll paintings from this era.
History & Provenance
Oxherding is a painting dated to 1424, attributed to an unknown artist and classified within the painting medium. It was produced in Japan and is associated with Sekkyakushi as the responsible creator. The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently held.
Limited provenance details are available beyond its place of origin and current institutional custody, with no documented commission history, intermediate ownership, or chain of possession preceding its acquisition by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Overview
This painting, titled Oxherding, captures a dynamic moment between a young boy and a powerful ox. The animal is depicted in a state of agitation, bucking and kicking up dust on rough, uneven ground. The boy, holding a long stick, attempts to control the beast. The artwork conveys a sense of raw energy and movement through its direct and unrefined aesthetic.
Artist & collection
- 元 佚名 牧牛圖 軸|Ox and Herdsman
朴堂祖淳筆 蘇軾騎驢図|Su Shi Riding a Donkey
Monk Riding Backward on an Ox
Paintings after Ancient Masters: Laozi Riding an Ox
The Chinese Poet Pan Lang on a Donkey
Untitled
Untitled
Untitled
Su Dongpo Riding a Donkey
Su Dongpo Riding a Donkey
Daoist Master Fei Zhangfang with a Dragon
Untitled
