White Poppies on Gold Ground 1615 - 1868

Ogata Kōrin created this folding screen of ink, color, and gold leaf on paper, titled ‘White Poppies on Gold Ground’, sometime between the late 17th and early 18th century. The initial visual impact is of a shimmering gold surface punctuated by the delicate forms of white poppies and verdant leaves. The artist’s masterful use of negative space distributes the poppies in a rhythmic pattern across the panels, with an emphasis on asymmetry. Kōrin elegantly balances the formal and the representational. He uses the abstract quality of the gold ground against which the poppies stand out in high relief. The structural arrangement of the flowers and foliage echoes patterns found in nature but is clearly mediated by the artist's sophisticated sense of design. This work exemplifies how Kōrin synthesized naturalism with decorative abstraction. His strategic deployment of color and form creates a visual experience that is both serene and dynamic. The screen invites ongoing appreciation of how aesthetic and philosophical ideals are manifested through the formal language of painting.