Description

A temple gate with a green-tiled roof and a red-framed passage stands amid a grove of trees in autumn colors, their rust-red crowns stretching across half of the pictorial space. Farther below, a rider crosses a stone arch bridge, while in the foreground a massive dark green pine leans over the rock.

The view opens toward the back onto a wide expanse of water with small sailboats, over which a flock of birds passes; behind it, a single blue conical mountain closes off the composition. The gradation of warm autumn foliage in the middle ground and cool, blue-gray distance creates a remarkable sense of spatial depth within a narrow format. The red beams of the temple gate reappear in muted form in the autumn foliage all around, linking the structure and nature through color.

The inscription at the lower edge of the picture dates the work to early autumn of a Shōwa year and concludes with a signature and two red seals. Compositions of this kind stand in the tradition of Chinese-influenced literati painting. Executed as a silkscreen print on silk, this hanging scroll is a warm-toned, detailed eye-catcher for the autumn months.