Japanese Meiji Riverside Scroll

Although Western painting was initially embraced during Japan’s Meiji period (1868–1912), artists brought on a revival of traditional painting styles as they sought to create a modern Japanese style with roots in the past. This exquisite hanging scroll demonstrates the preference for soft layering of gray tones with judicious use of color. The landscape is rendered in soft ink washes that subtly distinguish between water, mountain, and sky. The scroll painting illustrates human presence with intricate detail, bringing the grand estate and passenger boat into focus with dark outlines and careful brushstrokes. Delicately composed, this scroll perfectly captures the beauty of Meiji-era landscape painting.