波濤図屏風|Rough Waves
ca. 1704–9
Medium
Two-panel folding screen; ink, color, and gold leaf on paper
Dimensions
Image: 57 11/16 × 65 1/8 in. (146.5 × 165.4 cm) Overall: 59 1/4 × 66 1/2 in. (150.5 × 168.9 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1926
Accession Number
26.117
Tags
Art Historical Context
Ogata Kōrin's *Rough Waves* (波濤図屏風), created around 1704–9, is a stunning two-panel folding screen from Japan's Edo period (1615–1868). Crafted with ink, vibrant colors, and shimmering gold leaf on paper, it measures nearly five feet tall, designed to serve as both art and room divider in affluent homes. The Metropolitan Museum of Art acquired it through the Fletcher Fund in 1926, where it now captivates visitors in the Asian Art department. Kōrin, a leading figure in the Rinpa school of decorative painting, transformed traditional Japanese motifs into bold, stylized compositions. Here, turbu...
About the Artist
Ogata Kōrin · 1658–1716
Noted as one of the most important Japanese artists of the 17th century; known for paintings of irises and other subjects. He was regarded, along with Sotatsu, as one of the masters of the Sotatsu-Koetsu school of decorative painting, including painted screens and textile designs. He was descended from a samurai who had served under the Ashikaga rulers.