Jurōjin c. 1690 - 1700

Kano Tsunenobu made this painting of Jurōjin, one of the Seven Gods of Fortune, using ink and color on paper. The scroll format itself is significant. Painting in this format allowed the artwork to be both transportable, and storable. You could take the painting with you, or roll it up and put it away. The artist utilized the materials of paper and ink to produce this work. The monochrome palette is deftly handled, with a marvelous economy of means. Notice how with just a few strokes of the brush, Kano represents the folds of fabric around the god’s body. The artist has captured the essence of his subject with tremendous sensitivity, using a simple color palette. Looking at this scroll, it is important to remember that materials, making, and context are important in understanding the full meaning of an artwork.