Farmer Returning Home in Autumn

About this work

A farmer walks home on a narrow path, his water buffalo splashing through a stream while a crow pecks at his grain. The scene feels quiet and a little funny—like a snapshot of everyday life. Buson was both a poet and a painter. He learned to paint by copying Chinese manuals, not in a classroom. That mix of poetry and quick, loose brushwork gives his scenes a light, almost playful touch. To see how poetry and painting blend in Japanese art, look up *japan, edo period (1615–1868)*.