Description

A single carp moves upward through the water in a gently curved posture, its head turned toward the surface. Its back is glazed in a deep grayish black, while the belly remains light, and the individual scales have been worked out row by row with a fine brush. The delicately yellow-tinted fins appear almost translucent.

From the lower right, broadly placed reed or bamboo leaves push into the image, inked with vigor and visible brush pressure. They form the only counterpoint to the otherwise completely empty, warm-toned surface in which the fish hovers. Small light dots suggest rising air bubbles and give the water depth without depicting it. The empty, warm-toned space all around is just as important as the fish itself and is what truly makes it seem to float.

In Japan, the carp is regarded as a symbol of perseverance and strength of will, because according to tradition it can climb waterfalls and, in doing so, transform into a dragon. The signature and red seal are placed at the lower right. Executed as a screen print on silk, this hanging scroll is a clearly composed, powerful piece.