Ink Bamboo

Artist: Gion Nankai, Japanese, 1676–1751
Period: Edo period, 1615–1868
Date: early 18th century
Material: Hanging scroll: ink on silk
made in: Japan, Asia
Classification: Paintings
Collection: Asian Art
Current Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 14 3/4 x 20 1/4 in. (37.5 x 51.5 cm)
Credit Line: William K. Bixby Trust for Asian Art
Rights: Public Domain
Object Number: 105:1982

NOTES

Using only black ink, Gion Nankai evoked fresh green leaves of bamboo rustling in the wind. By varying the concentration of ink, and the weight and speed of his brush, he gave this elegant composition an illusion of depth and movement. The artist’s large, rectangular seal is impressed above.

Nankai began his career as a scholar in the service of the Lord of Wakayama domain in central Japan. The artist developed his passion for poetry and painting in his free time. He is particularly known for his images of bamboo buffeted by the elements.

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