Scholar in Contemplation, Kōno Bairei

Artwork Overview

Kōno Bairei, Scholar in Contemplation
Kōno Bairei, Scholar in Contemplation
Kōno Bairei
Scholar in Contemplation
late 1800s, Edo period (1600–1868) or Meiji period (1868–1912)
Kōno Bairei
1844–1895
Scholar in Contemplation, late 1800s, Edo period (1600–1868) or Meiji period (1868–1912)
Where object was made: Japan
Material/technique: paper; ink; color
Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 294 x 514 mm
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 11 9/16 x 20 1/4 in
Credit line: Gift of Stephen Addiss in honor of Patricia Fister
Accession number: 1991.0150
Not on display
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Kono Bairei was an influential teacher and leader in Kyoto art circles who served as a member of the Art Committee of the Imperial Household. Although he executed a few major works, including a series of murals in the Higashi Honganji in 1894, he is perhaps best known for impromptu sketches, such as this one, executed with quick, sure brushwork that yet retains sensitivity and a quiet charm.

In Scholar in Contemplation a few swift lines coupled with areas of ink wash suffice to portray a scholar gazing out into space. We see him from the rear and so follow his gaze out to the emptiness of the white paper. A stack of books and low table with pitcher and cup suggest that the space is the scholar's studio; an open fan implies tha tthe season is summer. The signature and seals at the upper right serve an important compositional function, defining the space as clearly as if they were a carefully depicted architectural element.