Bean VineItō Jakuchū · 701
Japanese Traditional
701
126.0cm x 48.0cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Itō Jakuchū (1716 – 1800)
Edo period painter of vibrant birds and flowers, known for meticulous detail and a unique pixelated grid technique in his colorful animal scenes.
Metropolitan Museum of Art (new york, United States of America)
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Itō Jakuchū, son of a greengrocer, used vegetables and plants as a personal iconography that almost always included a moral or religious meaning. This handsome sketch of a bean plant, paired with a poem by Ōbaku Zen monk Musen Jōzen (Tangai), refers to a story about the Chinese poet Cao Zhi (192–232), whose tyrannical brother, Cao Pei (Emperor Wen), once commanded him to compose a poem before he took seven steps, threatening him with execution if he failed. Tangai’s verse makes an erudite reference to Cao Zhi’s original poem comparing himself and his brother to the parts of a bean plant, while also alluding to the Zen philosophy of nonduality. The green vine puts forth blossoms, and its pods are like half-formed swords. The bean and stalk are inseparable; both were born from the same roots. —Trans. John T. Carpenter
About this artwork
- Title: Bean Vine
- Artist: Itō Jakuchū
- Year: 701
- Original dimensions: 126.0cm x 48.0cm
- Format: Portrait
- Copyright status: Public domain
- Where to see it: Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Movement: Japanese Traditional
- Creative period: Mature Period
- Main color: Walnut
Questions & Answers
Are the colors of "Bean Vine" by Itō Jakuchū saturated or muted?
"Bean Vine" by Itō Jakuchū is recorded with a muted saturation.
Who created "Bean Vine" and what style is it in?
"Bean Vine" was created by Itō Jakuchū in the Japanese Traditional style. Artist and movement identify the work's tradition.
How do contrast and harmony combine in "Bean Vine"?
The color analysis of "Bean Vine" by Itō Jakuchū records a gentle contrast and a unified palette harmony.