Artwork
Rushes and Two Birds
Rushes and Two Birds is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1544 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The work is executed in ink on paper as a hanging scroll, a format used in Japanese painting of the mid-sixteenth century. Its composition balances two birds with stylized rushes, employing minimal brushwork to suggest movement and depth. The restrained palette and asymmetrical layout reflect the influence of Kano school aesthetics while retaining a decorative quality suited to interior display.
History & Provenance
Rushes and Two Birds is dated to 1544 and was created in Japan, attributed to Kano Yukinobu. It entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Its dimensions are recorded as 99.4 centimeters in height and 42.5 centimeters in width. The available sources do not document its ownership history prior to the museum.
Overview
The work titled Rushes and Two Birds presents a brief aerial scene in which a pair of birds soar above a sparse landscape. One bird appears darker with an elongated tail, while the other is lighter, smaller, and positioned nearby. Beneath them, slender rushes sway beside a clump of bushes, with a distant hill suggested on the horizon.
Subject & Meaning
The composition focuses on the fleeting motion of the two birds, emphasizing their contrast in size and coloration. The surrounding vegetation and minimal horizon serve to isolate the avian figures, inviting contemplation of movement and the relationship between fauna and a quiet, open environment.
Artist & collection
