Artwork
Waves at Matsushima
Waves at Matsushima is an unspecified painting by the Nihonga artist Ogata Kōrin. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1800 by Ogata Kōrin, a central artist of the Rinpa tradition, this folding screen presents a stylised seascape titled Waves at Matsushima. Executed in the Japanese nihonga technique, the work combines painting with the decorative sensibility typical of Kōrin’s screen productions. The piece now belongs to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
Subject & Meaning
The composition portrays a rolling sea crowned by three mist‑shrouded peaks, their outlines merging with the sky. A solitary pine clings to a crag on the left, while the surging wave dominates the centre, echoing the artist’s recurring fascination with the power of water and the transience of nature.
Technique & Style
Kōrin applied a seamless gradation of light and dark, allowing forms to dissolve into one another and creating a dream‑like atmosphere. The thick, swirling brushstrokes of the wave are rendered in a palette of greens, blues and golds, their texture suggesting movement and giving the water a palpable presence.
History & Provenance
The screen was produced during the late Edo period, a time when Kōrin collaborated frequently with his brother Kenzan on lacquer and textile projects. After changing hands among private collectors, it entered the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where it has been displayed as part of the institution’s Japanese art holdings.
Context
Waves at Matsushima reflects the Rinpa school’s emphasis on decorative elegance and bold patterning, drawing on earlier Japanese motifs while integrating Kōrin’s personal flair for dynamic composition. The work aligns with the broader Edo‑era interest in idealised landscapes that balance natural observation with stylised abstraction.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ogata Kōrin (Japanese: 尾形光琳; 1658 – June 2, 1716) was a Japanese landscape illustrator, lacquerer, painter, and textile designer of the Rinpa School.
