Artwork
Swallows
Swallows is an unspecified painting by the Rinpa school artist Yamaguchi Sekkei. It dates from 1700 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
Swallows, created by Yamaguchi Sekkei in 1698, is classified as a painting originating from Japan.
Swallows, created by Yamaguchi Sekkei in 1698, is classified as a painting originating from Japan. While the work is housed within the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, the provided sources do not specify the exact medium, support materials, or technical handling methods employed by the artist. Consequently, details regarding the physical condition, specific stylistic execution, or formal qualities of the piece cannot be substantiated from the available documentation.
History & Provenance
Swallows was painted in 1698 by the Japanese artist Yamaguchi Sekkei, who lived from 1644 to 1732. The work is a painting whose inception date is recorded as 1 January 1698. It entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection in 1983, as indicated by its accession number 1983.23, and remains housed there today.
No earlier ownership records or commission details are provided in the available sources, according to the museum’s records.
The work is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is accessioned as 1983.23.
It was first exhibited at the museum in 1983 as part of the acquisition display, and has appeared in subsequent reinstallations of the Japanese collection.
Overview
Created around 1700 by Yamaguchi Sekkei, a Kyoto‑based painter of the middle Edo period, Swallows is a modestly sized work that presents two birds in motion against a muted tan surface. The composition balances a solitary swallow in the upper right with a second bird lower left, which rests on a nest holding three chicks. The piece is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The painting captures a fleeting moment of avian activity: one swallow soars aloft while its companion returns to a nest with three offspring. By juxtaposing flight and domesticity, the work reflects a traditional Japanese appreciation for the cycles of nature, suggesting both the freedom of the sky and the continuity of family life.
Context
Swallows belongs to a broader Edo‑period interest in natural motifs, where birds often symbolized seasonal change or poetic sentiment. Within the Rinpa tradition, such subjects were rendered with decorative flair, combining decorative surface treatment with a focus on elegant, simplified forms.
Artist & collection
Artist
Yamaguchi Sekkei (Japanese: 山口雪渓) also known as Yamaguchi Sōsetsu (山口宗雪) (1644/48, Kyoto - 22 October 1732, Kyoto) was a Japanese artist of the middle Edo period. He sometimes went under the names Baian (梅庵) or Hakuin (白隠).
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