Magpie on Viburnum Branch 1500 - 1533

Genga created this image of a Magpie on Viburnum Branch sometime in the first half of the 16th century. It's painted with ink and color on silk, a precious material in its own right, and mounted as a hanging scroll. The inherent qualities of silk, its absorbency and sheen, are paramount here. Genga would have had to use the ink and pigments strategically to produce the delicate gradients of tone that we see in the bird’s plumage, the leaves, and the petals. This type of painting demanded the highest level of technical mastery and the skills of a steady hand, a strong command of brushwork, and a deep understanding of color. Consider also that producing silk requires intensive labor, from the cultivation of silkworms to the weaving of the fabric. So, in a work like this, we see not only Genga’s artistry, but also the contributions of many anonymous laborers, without whom this image simply could not exist. It’s a reminder that all works of art are fundamentally collaborative, embedded in wider networks of making.