Pigeons in a Tree
ca. 1887
Medium
Album leaf; ink and color on silk
Dimensions
14 1/8 x 10 3/4 in. (35.9 x 27.3 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
14.76.61.46
Tags
Art Historical Context
Watanabe Seitei’s *Pigeons in a Tree*, created around 1887 during Japan’s Meiji period captures a quiet moment of natural harmony. As an album leaf painted in ink and color on silk, the work reflects the refined traditions of Japanese bird-and-flower painting while responding to the cultural shifts of the era, when artists balanced centuries-old techniques with new Western influences. Its modest size invites close viewing, encouraging visitors to appreciate the subtle details of the birds’ feathers and the delicate branches. Album leaves like this one were often created as independent studies...