Frolicking Figures and Animals
19th century
Medium
Handscroll; wash drawing
Dimensions
20 ft. 8 in. x 10 7/8 in. (629.9 x 27.6 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
Japan · Meiji period (1868–1912)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1937
Accession Number
37.119.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
Kawanabe Kyōsai created this lively handscroll during Japan’s Meiji period, a time of rapid modernization when traditional art forms met new influences from the West. Known for his sharp wit and energetic brushwork, Kyōsai often infused his paintings with humor and social commentary. The long format—over twenty feet in length—invites viewers to unroll the scene gradually, discovering a playful procession of men, boys, foxes, snakes, and buffalos as they move across the paper. Executed in wash drawing, the work showcases the fluid possibilities of ink, allowing forms to emerge with both precis...
About the Artist
Kawanabe Kyōsai 河鍋暁斎 (Japanese) · 1831 –1889
Japanese, 1831–1889