Egrets at the Water's Edge
ca. 1887
Medium
Album leaf; ink and color on silk
Dimensions
14 x 10 3/4 in. (35.6 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
14.76.61.52
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the elegant intimacy of an album leaf, *Egrets at the's Edge* (ca. 1887) by Watanabe Seitei captures the serene poise of birds poised at the water's brink. Created during Japan's Meiji period (186–1912), a time of rapid modernization and cultural exchange with the West, this work exemplifies Seitei's mastery of *kacho-e*—paintings of birds and flowers Trained in traditional Japanese techniques, Seitei infused his art with subtle Western realism, delicate ink lines with soft colors to evoke nature's quiet harmony. Rendered in ink and color on silk, the 14 x 10 3/4-inch leaf showcase...