Artwork
酒井抱一筆 桜図屏風|Blossoming Cherry Trees

酒井抱一筆 桜図屏風|Blossoming Cherry Trees is an ink painting by the Nihonga artist Sakai Hōitsu. It dates from 1805 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Blossoming Cherry Trees is a pair of six-panel folding screens created by Sakai Hōitsu around 1805. The work is executed in ink, color, and gold leaf on paper and is held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The screens depict cherry branches with delicate pink blossoms and green leaves set against a golden background, while the lower portion is rendered in plain gray, evoking a simple base.
Technique & Style
The artist's use of gold leaf creates a sense of luminosity, and the brushstrokes used to depict the branches are characterized by quick, loose lines that convey a sense of vitality.
Context
This work exemplifies the artist's approach to representing nature, which can be compared to other artistic movements that emphasized the natural world.
Artist & collection















