Flowers and insects
1615-1868
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1907.128-129
Tags
About this artwork
Tosa
Art Historical Context
Discover the delicate beauty of *Flowers and Insects*, captivating painting from the Tosa, created during Japan's Edo period (16151868). The Tosa school, one of the oldest and most revered Japanese painting lineages, specialized in the traditional *yamato-e* stylecharacterized by vibrant colors, intricate details, and a focus on native Japanese subjects. This school served imperial courts and nobility, producing works for screens, albums, scrolls that celebrated the elegance of nature. In this artwork, blooming flowers paired with insects evoke the ephemeral beauty of the seasons, a core them...