Small White Water Lily and Plumed Cockscomb from the Album Exquisite Flowers from the Realm of Immortals 玄圃瑤華のうち未草・鶏頭げんぽようか　ひつじぐさ　けいとう

Description

Ito Jakuchu has depicted several flowering plants, vegetables and insects using black and white only. Jakuchu was active in Kyoto during the 18th century. He was renowned for his vivid paintings of flowers and birds, but his graphical sensibilities are also apparent in monochrome works like this one.

Exquisite Flowers from the Realm of the Immortals is a collection of 48 drawings. Jakuchu produced it when he was 53 using a technique called taku-hanga, or woodblock ink rubbing. The white sections correspond to concave sections carved into the woodblock. Moistened paper would be pressed against the woodblock, with ink then applied to the surface in a manner that left the concave sections untouched. Jakuchu is said to have drawn the original sketches and carved them onto the woodblocks himself.

The white motifs rise up dramatically against the black background to form a bold contrast between light and dark. The distinctive atmosphere of the work is enhanced by a meticulous attention to detail, with Jakuchu even punctuating the leaves with holes left by insects, for example. The realm mentioned in the title is where the Taoist immortals live, while the exquisite flowers refers to flowers as beautiful as jewels. As these words suggest, this is a work filled with a sense of unearthly beauty.