日本の動物画‐いきもののかたち‐ 江戸期の花鳥画などかわいい日本画のサイト - Arts -

Japanese arts of animals

Kawanabe Kyosai / Vegetables and a stag beetle (fan painting / framed)
Kyosai is said to have painted everything, regardless of genre. His skillful brushwork is full of charm that draws the viewer into his work. This work makes full use of the shape of the fan surface, and even in the plain brushstrokes, you can get a glimpse of his artistic skill.
有友鶴城猿猴暁眠図大幅
The mother monkey appears to be meditating, while her baby monkeys are relaxing. One mischievous baby monkey is watched over by its siblings. The depiction of the monkeys' limbs follows the style of Mori Sosen, but the overall brushwork is light and airy, conveying the monkeys' playful atmosphere.
So Shiko / The hawk
Perhaps he is searching for prey. His gaze into the distance exudes a sense of tension. So Shiko was a painter of the late Edo period. As the grandson of So Shiseki and son of So Shizan, he inherited the Shen Nanpin school.
Maruyama Okyo / Pine, bamboo and a wagtail
This is a dignified scroll with a graceful wagtail as the main character. It was created in the first year of the Kansei era when Okyo was 57 years old.
Hashimoto Kansetsu / Long noon
This is a very adorable picture of a puppy, lured by the afternoon sunshine and looking as if it is about to fall asleep at any moment. It sits to its sides with its hind legs relaxed, but with its front legs firmly planted, trying to stay sane, which makes you smile involuntarily.
Nishimura Goun / A egret in wind and rain
Goun studied under Takeuchi Seiho, and was praised for his vivid depictions that surpassed those of his teacher. The way the egret crouches low to weather the wind and rain expresses a way of life that is in harmony with the laws of nature.
Konoshima Okoku / Two Hanging scrolls of a cold moon and two mallards
Ducks sleeps on the water's surface against the backdrop of a hazy moon. A light flurry of snow is falling on the screen, conveying a still, cold feeling.
Yamamoto Shunkyo / The monkey
Perhaps he is enjoying playing alone. This monkey has a very cute expression that looks like he is smiling. It may seem simple to draw, but it captures the characteristics of the monkey very well.
Neagari Tomiji / Birds of spring
This eye-catching, delicate and beautiful flower and bird painting by Neagari Tomiji depicts a fleeting moment, filled with the bright sunlight of spring.
Konoshima Okoku / Two deer
Okoku has created many animal paintings. His unpretentious compositions show his keen eye for depicting animals as they are in life. At the feet of a deer standing upright, another deer is lying down and relaxing. This imbalance creates a sense of rhythm and interest in the painting.
Watanabe Seitei / Two carps under a waterfall
The composition is reminiscent of Maruyama Okyo's "Green Maple and Waterfall," but Seitei's characteristically dry and taut brushwork is effectively showcased. The carp is painted at about 10% of the ink color of the rocks, but the skill of the brushwork makes it seem as if the carps are appearing and disappearing amid the splashing water, vividly coming to life before your eyes.
Ishizaki Koyo / Hazy moon and an egret
Koyo, who was also known as a mountaineer and visited the Himalayas to sketch, created many paintings with gorgeous tropical flowers and birds as subjects. On the other hand, this work depicts a serene space with an egret under a hazy moon, showing the breadth of Koyo's painting ability.
Watanabe Seitei / Two hanging scrolls of Irises and Carps
This is a rare combination of carps and irises. Seitei created a sense of depth and transparency beneath the water’s surface by barely depicting the water itself and instead focusing on the overlapping carps and aquatic plants from a bird's-eye view.
Maruyama Okyo / Turtles playing under the rising sun
A mother and her baby turtles playing leisurely together. The Japanese pond turtle is now designated as an endangered species, but it seems that in the Edo period it was kept as a pet. In the past, it may have been possible to see many of them in nearby rivers.
Takeuchi Seiho / Crows fighting in the snow
Three crows fighting violently in the air, searching for food. The vivid brushwork is striking. It was exhibited at the "Takeuchi Seiho:A Destructive and Creative Force" exhibition held at the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art in 2023.
Kato Eishu / The tiger
Eishu specialized in painting flowers, birds and animals. His brushwork is soft, and you can feel his delicate gaze and warmth towards living creatures. This tiger is no different, and rather than being ferocious, it seems relaxed, as if it is yawning leisurely.
Ishikawa Tairo / Two hanging scrolls of Tiger and Dragon
Although this dragon and tiger painting follows the style of the Kano school, the expression of each face shows its originality. The tiger's face seems to express its strong will to win, which is very appealing.
Meiji and Taisho period / Reunion of The Sanzu-no-Kawa (Sanzu River)
This painting depicts a moment of joy with a lover who has crossed the Sanzu River and reunited. It may be the very proof of love that we can recognize each other even when we are bones.
sold out
Asai Ryuto / Tiger howling under a pine tree
Though it is roaring towards the sky, what a troubled expression this tiger has. Contrary to the powerful brushstrokes of the pine trees and rocks, the tiger's body is soft and limp, giving it an almost plush toy-like cuteness.
sold out
Nagasawa Rosetsu / Bamboo and Stone with Turtle
In Rosetsu's works, occasionally exquisite compositions emerge. In one instance, a turtle snugly fits into the foreground's margin, creating a slightly mysterious composition. Rosetsu's approach involves pushing elements into the painting without concern if they might overflow, capturing a sense of freedom from conventional concepts and a joyous, uninhibited enjoyment of painting.
Yamamoto Baiitsu / Pine trees and flowers and birds
The painter Baiitsu also worked as an official painter for the Owari domain in his later years. This is a painting created at the age of 69, three years before he became the official painter for Owari.
Kano Tanshin / Two hanging scrolls of climbing carp
Tanshin, the seventh generation of the Kajibashi Kano school, studied under his ancestor Tan'yu in order to rebuild his family.
Kano Tsunenobu / Two hanging scrolls of Tiger and Dragon
This painting of a dragon and a tiger is inspired by a passage from "I Ching(易経)", which says, "When a dragon sings, clouds arise; when a tiger roars, wind blows."
Kikuchi Hobun / Cherry blossoms and water birds
This painting depicts a peaceful nature scene that evokes the spring weather.