Object Details
Artist
Yamamoto Baiitsu
Date
1824
Medium
Hanging scroll: monochrome ink on satin
Dimensions
Image: 46 × 14 3/8 inches (116.8 × 36.5 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Martie and Alice Young
Object
Number
2001.071
The artist has created his own variation on the “Three Friends of Winter” theme by joining bamboo an(…)
The artist has created his own variation on the “Three Friends of Winter” theme by joining bamboo and plum together with narcissus, instead of the more conventional pine. Bamboo signifies resilience, while plum represents perseverance in the face of hardship. Narcissus, also a symbol of the New Year, is an emblem of good fortune.Baiitsu counts among the most talented of the Japanese bunjin (scholar) painters, who looked to Chinese paintings for inspiration. He specialized in bird and flower painting, and favored brushwork in the “boneless” style. Here he has combined that technique with the use of outlining, especially to define the bamboo.
