Summer Grasses and Flowers

This painting depicts three plants emblematic of summer in Japan. Blue bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), red morning star lily (Lilium concolor), and wispy southern crabgrass (Digitaria ciliaris) intermingle in this elegant composition. The hydrangea and crabgrass were subtly depicted in soft shades of blue, green, and gray without ink outlines through the unobtrusive tarashikomi (poured in) technique. These colors were added into a body of wet ink, creating a pooling effect that became the most distinctive characteristic of the Rinpa school of Japanese art. The startlingly bright red applied to the morning star lilies was one of Fukae Roshū’s favorite colors and used in many of his paintings. This painting is only one of about 20 known works by the artist to have survived.