Cat Catching a Frog
ca. 1887
Medium
Album leaf; ink and color on silk
Dimensions
14 1/8 x 10 5/8 in. (35.9 x 27 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
Japan · Meiji period (1868–1912)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Charles Stewart Smith Collection, Gift of Mrs. Charles Stewart Smith, Charles Stewart Smith Jr., and Howard Caswell Smith, in memory of Charles Stewart Smith, 1914
Accession Number
14.76.61.20
Tags
Art Historical Context
Kawanabe Kyōsai’s “Cat Catching a Frog,” painted around 1887 during Japan’s Meiji period, captures a lively moment of pursuit between two animals. Kyōsai, celebrated for his dynamic brushwork and playful subjects, worked at a time when traditional Japanese art was encountering Western influences. This small album leaf reflects his skill in distilling energy and humor into intimate compositions. Created with ink and color on silk, the medium lends a delicate luminosity to the scene, typical of album leaves meant for personal viewing rather than large public display. The tags highlighting cats ...
About the Artist
Kawanabe Kyōsai 河鍋暁斎 (Japanese) · 1831 –1889
Japanese, 1831–1889