Artwork

Sketch Copy of Natural Disasters, from the Seven Fortunes and Misfortunes

Sketch Copy of Natural Disasters, from the Seven Fortunes and Misfortunes is an unspecified painting by the Romanticist artist Unknown. It dates from 1773 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This handscroll, left unmounted, is a copy of the first in a three-part series originally painted by Maruyama Ōkyo.

About this work

You see a long paper scroll filled with small, busy scenes—people running from storms, fighting off wild dogs, or clinging to trees in floods.

You see a long paper scroll filled with small, busy scenes—people running from storms, fighting off wild dogs, or clinging to trees in floods.

This is a copy of a famous scroll by Maruyama Ōkyo, made after his original. He painted disasters to scare viewers into behaving better, like a moral warning. The scenes feel real, almost like snapshots, which was new for the time.

If you like this, look up the subject *japan, edo period (1615–1868) to meiji period (1868–1912)* for more works like it.

Overview

This handscroll, left unmounted, is a copy of the first in a three-part series originally painted by Maruyama Ōkyo.

Subject & Meaning

The scroll depicts various natural calamities, showing people struggling against forces like wind, water, and wild animals, aiming to evoke empathy and recognition in the viewer.

Technique & Style

The scenes are rendered in a realistic style, with a contemporary feel that was innovative for its time, presenting the disasters in a snapshot-like manner.

History & Provenance

The original was created by Maruyama Ōkyo for the Buddhist monk Yujō, and this copy was made after it.

Context

The work was intended as a moral warning, using vivid imagery to caution viewers against misfortune, possibly to encourage better behavior.