About the Artwork
Maruyama Ōkyo was the master of the realist school of painting in eighteenth-century Japan. Ōkyo’s brilliant talent in genre painting is evident in his execution of the popular time-honored theme of seasonal activities. A scene of a summer night gathering along the cool banks of the Kamo River at the intersection of Shijo Street is preceded by a scene of spring cherry blossoms and followed by scenes of the fall lantern festival and the winter preparations for the New Year’s festivities. Between the scenes are sections of spontaneous cursive-style narrative text by the renowned calligrapher Takahashi Munenao.
Entertainments of the Four Seasons in Kyoto
ca. 1770 - 1777
Maruyama Okyo (Artist) Japanese, 1733-1795 Takahashi Munenao (Artist) Japanese, 1701 - 1785
Ink on paper
Overall (Painting): 11 1/4 inches × 46 feet 3 3/8 inches (28.6 cm × 14 m 10.7 cm) Overall (Overall height of scroll): 11 15/16 inches (30.4 cm) Image (Spring scene): 11 1/4 × 44 13/16 inches (28.6 × 113.8 cm) Image (Summer scene): 11 1/4 × 52 5/8 inches (28.6 × 133.7 cm) Image (Autumn scene): 11 1/4 × 44 13/16 inches (28.6 × 113.9 cm) Image (Winter scene): 11 1/4 × 45 1/4 inches (28.6 × 114.9 cm)
Paintings
Asian Art
Founders Society Purchase, Edsel and Eleanor Ford Exhibition and Acquisition Fund, Alan and Marianne Schwartz Fund with funds from Michigan National Corporation, Mrs. Howard J. Stoddard and Mr. and Mrs. Stanford C. Stoddard
1983.21
Public Domain
Markings
Calligraphy, throughout: [text by Takashasi Munenao]
Stamp, in red, lower right, on first sheet: [seal]
Provenance
Hara Collection.(Mayuyama and Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan);
1983-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
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Provenance pageExhibition History
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The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.
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Suggest FeedbackPublished References
Taki, Dr. Seiichi. Kokka, no. 331.
"Founders Society Reports." Bulletin of the DIA 61, no. 3 (1982/83): p. 35 (ill.).
100 Masterworks from the Detroit Institute of Arts. New York, 1985, pp. 58-59 (ill.).
Yoshizawa, Chu. "Maruyama Okyo hitsu shiki yuraku zukan shita-e ni tsuite." (The draft of Maruyama Okyo's Handscroll of "Merriments of the Four Seasons".) Kokka, no. 1081 (1985): pp. 11-19.
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Credit Line for Reproduction
Maruyama Okyo; Takahashi Munenao, Entertainments of the Four Seasons in Kyoto, ca. 1770 - 1777, ink on paper. Detroit Institute of Arts, Founders Society Purchase, Edsel and Eleanor Ford Exhibition and Acquisition Fund, Alan and Marianne Schwartz Fund, et al., 1983.21.
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