Untitled
The Met
Artist: Kawanabe Kyōsai 河鍋暁斎(Japanese, 1831–1889)
Date: ca. 1887
Department: Asian Art
Classification: Paintings
Medium: Album leaf; ink and color on silk
Dimensions: 14 1/4 x 10 3/4 in. (36.2 x 27.3 cm)
Credit Line: Charles Stewart Smith Collection, Gift of Mrs. Charles Stewart Smith, Charles Stewart Smith Jr., and Howard Caswell Smith, in memory of Charles Stewart Smith, 1914
Visual Descriptions
AI GeneratedVisual Summary
Brief Description
A large bird with outstretched wings grappling a dragon-like creature in turbulent dark water
Detailed Description
A large bird and a dragon-like creature are depicted in a dynamic scene amidst turbulent waves, rendered in shades of dark gray and black ink. The bird, positioned centrally, has its large, feathered wings spread wide, extending upwards and to the right. Its head, with a sharp beak, faces left, and its talons grip the body of the serpentine creature below. The bird's feathers are rendered with varying shades of dark gray and black ink, creating texture and depth. Below the bird, the dragon-like creature is partially submerged in the tumultuous water. It has a scaly body, a head with an open mouth revealing sharp teeth, and prominent eyes. Its body twists and turns, with its tail extending towards the right side of the composition. The water fills the lower half of the image and surrounds the two figures, depicted with dynamic, swirling lines and splashes of dark and light gray ink, suggesting powerful waves and foam. On the far left, dark, jagged forms, possibly rocks, emerge from the water. The background is a light, unadorned gray. In the upper left corner, a vertical column of black calligraphic text is visible, accompanied by a square red seal below it.
Generated by gemini-2.5-flash
