Japan, Edo period (1615–1868) / 1781
Farmer Returning Home in Autumn
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Farmer Returning Home in Autumn as painting (Japan, Edo period (1615–1868) · 1781).
The man keeps his feet dry by crossing over the bridge while the water buffalo pulls the cart through the stream.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as Hanging scroll; ink and light color on silk and credits Yosa Buson (Japanese, 1716–1783).
The museum's collection notes: Here, Yosa Buson’s farmer playfully chastises a crow who has come to dine on his grain while his water buffalo earnestly negotiates a swift stream. Raised in what is now Osaka, Buson went to Edo (now Tokyo) to study poetry composition. He later traveled around northeastern Japan, following in the footsteps of poet Matsuo Bashō (松尾芭蕉) (1644–1694), and then taught poetry in Kyoto. He painted professionally, a skill he learned by using wood-block–printed Chinese painting manuals.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtFarmer Returning Home in AutumnOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.