Orchids c. 19th century

0:00

painting, paper, ink-on-paper, watercolor, ink

organic

water colours

painting

asian-art

paper

ink-on-paper

watercolor

ink

orientalism

line

watercolour illustration

Dimensions: 11 7/16 × 199 5/16 in. (29.05 × 506.25 cm) (image)11 3/4 × 257 5/8 in. (29.85 × 654.37 cm) (mount)

Tanomura Chokunyū painted these Orchids with ink on paper, capturing their delicate essence. In East Asian art, orchids symbolize refinement and integrity, often linked to Confucian ideals of the noble scholar. The orchid motif echoes through art history, reminiscent of the lotus in ancient Egyptian and Indian art, which embodies purity and spiritual awakening. Each culture imprints its unique meaning, yet the underlying theme of spiritual elevation persists. The subtle, almost melancholic grace of the orchids might evoke a sense of longing, tapping into our collective memory. This isn't just a painting of flowers; it's a symbol, resonating with emotional and psychological depths passed down through generations. These symbols resurface in different forms, their essence evolving, yet their power to move us remains.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart over 1 year ago

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In East Asia, the orchid appears frequently not just because of its beauty, but also for its cultural significance. In China, the flower was considered one of the four gentlemen (in Chinese, sijunzi)—along with bamboo, chrysanthemum, and plum—that represented the noble virtues of true literati. Orchids bloom quietly in deep valleys far away from the mundane world, and they have an upright character. The four plants also constituted the basis of art education: their simple forms allowed beginners to practice the fundamental strokes of painting. This method of starting with the four gentlemen was transmitted from China through painted books like the Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting, published in China in the late 1600s. Here, using basic techniques, Chokunyū represents orchids in just a few brushstrokes in varying degrees of ink wash.