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Peonies
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
A proliferation of white tree peonies dominates this composition. Behind them are tall, feathery-topped susuki grasses and leafy deciduous trees. Tatebayashi Kagei restricted his palette to ink with red and white color, along with sparing use of green in the peony leaves and the blades of grass. He made generous use of the “dripping-in” ( tarashikomi ) technique, layering pooled ink and color, in the peony leaves. The areas left in reserve create the impression of insect-eaten or late season foliage.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit linePeonies (牡丹図), mid 1700s. Tatebayashi Kagei (Japanese, active mid-1700s). Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper; painting only: 90.9 x 36.2 cm (35 13/16 x 14 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Worcester R. Warner Collection, 1964.105
