“Ink Plum Blossoms under the Moon”

Maruyama Ōkyo

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Artist Name: Maruyama Ōkyo
Title: “Ink Plum Blossoms under the Moon”
Dimensions: painting：122.1×52.7㎝
full length：207.0×60.7㎝
Medium: ink on paper
Description: A thick branch descends from the right side of the composition toward the bottom, then bends sharply at the center, changing direction. From that point, several slender branches extend upward.

One branch in particular rises at a sharp angle, commanding attention; yet the gradations of ink in the brushwork create subtle accents, lending the work a gentle impression.

Flowers and buds are thoughtfully arranged along the branches in balanced proportion. The moon, positioned behind the thick branch, is suggested by a faint wash of ink around its circumference, with soft shading that defines its glowing presence.

Maruyama Ōkyo (1733-1795) was a painter of the mid and late Edo period.
He learnt about how to paint from some Chinase and European paintings.
His delicate art style let him establish his own group which is the origin of modern arts in Kyōto.