Landscape with flowering vines
early 17th century
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1903.241
Tags
About this artwork
The graceful curves of trailing vinesâbottle gourd (yugao) and morning gloryâdominate this landscape scene. The roof of a small thatched hut appears at the lower left. Gold leaf and particles are extensively applied to depict land banks and clouds; stylized waves painted with silver pigment have darkened with age. The extensive use of gold in large-format Japanese paintings such as folding screens and the sliding panels that form the movable âwallsâ of rooms in elite traditional residenc...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...