Description

Against a warmly shimmering gold background, a dense arrangement of plants unfolds, plants that actually bloom in different seasons. At the center is a large, cream-white peony, its layered petals modeled in relief with fine shading and carried by vigorous green foliage.

From the right, a gnarled plum branch with white blossoms reaches into the picture, at the upper left stand bamboo stalks with finely rendered clusters of leaves, and below them the orange-red berry clusters of a nandina glow. Along the lower edge, yellow and white chrysanthemums complete the composition. The coloring is restrained throughout, leaving ample room for the gold tone. The leaf shapes, too, are carefully differentiated, from the narrow bamboo leaves to the finely feathered nandina foliage to the sturdy peony leaves.

Such combinations of blossoms from several seasons are a deliberate choice in Japanese painting: they capture the entire cycle of the year in a single image and are therefore considered especially auspicious. The signature and red seal are placed at the lower right. Executed as a silkscreen print on silk, this hanging scroll is a festive, decorative piece.