Japan, Edo period (1615–1868) / 1785
Seventy-Two Peaks Under the Blue Sky with Mount Furong
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Seventy-Two Peaks Under the Blue Sky with Mount Furong as painting (Japan, Edo period (1615–1868) · 1785).
By painting on silver and gold foil, Matsumura Goshun created an alluring surface and deep space in this surprisingly spare vista.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as Eight-panel folding screen; ink with gold and silver foil on paper and credits Matsumura Goshun (Japanese, 1752–1811).
The museum's collection notes: The low height of this folding screen suggests its use as a partition in a small tearoom. An inscription identifies the scene as the 72-peak Heng mountain range in Hunan, China, associated with Buddhist and Daoist traditions and celebrated in poetry. Special mention in the inscription is made of Mount Furong, one of the peaks in the range. Matsumura Goshun may have drawn inspiration from his teacher, Yosa Buson (与謝蕪村) (1716–1783), whose final work depicted the same mountain range.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtSeventy-Two Peaks Under the Blue Sky with Mount FurongOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.