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 gold 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
Two squirrels on chestnut branches and ground with spiky husks and nuts, ink wash
Detailed Description
An ink wash painting depicts two squirrels amidst chestnut branches and foliage on a light background. In the upper left, dark calligraphic characters are present, accompanied by a red square seal with lighter characters. A large chestnut branch extends from the upper edge, featuring numerous broad, serrated leaves and several spiky chestnut husks, some of which are open to reveal the nuts inside. A squirrel with detailed fur is perched on a branch on the left, looking towards the right. To the right, another branch with smaller leaves and clusters of small, dark berries extends downwards. The lower portion of the painting shows a grassy ground with sparse, dark brushstrokes indicating individual blades of grass and several bamboo shoots. A second squirrel, rendered with similar detailed fur, sits on the ground in the lower right, holding a nut in its front paws and appearing to eat it. Another round nut lies on the ground nearby. The background features subtle, lighter washes, creating a gentle rise in the middle ground.
Generated by gemini-2.5-flash
