Kakemono Fuji Above a Cloud Band and Misty Hills

This hanging scroll is a piece of the Edo period that shows its history: the paper has darkened, is traversed by fine hairline and fold cracks and is stained in places. It is precisely this patina that suits a painting which in any case relies entirely on restraint.

It shows Fuji, little more than a pale outline above a broad band of clouds. Below, dark hilltops emerge from the mist, set down in ink wash, with a few suggestions of trees on the ridges. A great deal of empty space remains between peak and hills – it carries the picture as much as the mountain does.

Signature and seal name Kanō Tanyū, court painter to the Tokugawa Shōgunate, who painted Fuji several times and, with his feeling for line and empty space, shaped Kanō painting of the Edo period. The picture, painted on paper, is mounted in light blue silk with brocade in a floral pattern, the jikusaki are made of wood, and a simple wooden box is included. At 52 × 103 cm, the format also suits smaller wall spaces.