長澤蘆州筆 月下遊舟図|Boat under the Moon
early 19th century
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
Dimensions
Image: 41 1/4 × 16 9/16 in. (104.8 × 42.1 cm) Overall with mounting: 75 3/16 × 21 1/8 in. (191 × 53.7 cm) Overall with knobs: 75 3/16 × 23 1/16 in. (191 × 58.6 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2019
Accession Number
2019.420.32
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the serene glow of a full moon, *Boat under the Moon* (下遊舟図) by Nagasawa Rosh captures a timeless Japanese landscape motif. Created in the early 19th during the Edo period (5–1868), this hanging scroll depicts a solitary boat gliding on calm waters, framed by misty mountains and ethereal light. Rendered in ink and light colors on silk, the work measures an impressive 41¼ × 16⁹⁄₁₆ inches, designed to unfurl dramatically for intimate viewing in a tokonoma alcove. Roshū, a master of nanga (Southern school) painting—a literati style blending Chinese ink traditions with Japanese sensibility—excelled in evocative brushwork that prioritizes poetic mood over realism. His fluid lines and subtle color washes evoke the tranquility of a moonlit night, a theme resonant in Japanese poetry and seasonal appreciation (setsugekka). Hanging scrolls like this were prized possessions, displayed seasonally to harmonize with nature's rhythms. This piece, from the Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, exemplifies Edo-era refinement, bridging scholarly elegance and natural beauty. Visitors are drawn into its quiet reverie, a window to Japan's enduring love for contemplative landscapes.
About the Artist
Nagasawa Roshū 長澤蘆洲 (Japanese) · 1767 –1847
Japanese, 1767–1847