NOTES
This complex arrangement of hydrangeas and chrysanthemums—flowers of summer and autumn—is a 20th-century interpretation of traditional Rinpa floral compositions. The brighter green chrysanthemum leaves are painted using the distinctive Rinpa painting technique of tarashikomi, or pooling of ink, here with gold wash as well. This painting also features an unusual composition that occupies the full vertical height; it combines celebrated Rinpa imagery and technique with the bold lines of modern Japanese design.
The artist, Kamisaka Sekka, is widely regarded as one of the last great masters of the Rinpa school and holds a unique position in the history of Japanese modern art. Unlike his contemporaries, his achievements were not limited to the sphere of painting, as he also designed woodblock prints, lacquerware, ceramics, and textiles. The Rinpa tradition, which became Sekka’s lifelong path, was considered a uniquely Japanese form of aesthetic expression. Despite societal pressure to look only at painting as art, he worked toward preserving the tradition of arts and crafts by successfully integrating various materials, sometimes producing mixed-media works.
