Matsumoto Hōji was an eighteenth-century Japanese painter from the circle of the literati and the Zen-influenced ink-painting schools; little of his life is documented, yet his small ink study of a frog has become one of the most widely reproduced animal images in Japanese art. The drawing belongs to a chapter of the late Edo period in which artists trained in sumi-e — the ink painting of the Chan and Zen tradition — pushed toward radical economy, entrusting a single brushstroke with the body, posture and humour of a small creature. This monochrome edition keeps the original register of ink on paper.
The drawing is built from very few strokes. A curved stroke gives the back, a shorter one below it the belly, two small ink dots the eyes. The white of the paper does the rest, giving the underside, the volume of the body and the air around the animal. A single red seal at the side holds the composition, the way a signature holds a calligraphy. The sheet is an exercise in t . . . Read More >>
Matsumoto Hōji was an eighteenth-century Japanese painter from the circle of the literati and the Zen-influenced ink-painting schools; little of his life is documented, yet his small ink study of a frog has become one of the most widely reproduced animal images in Japanese art. The drawing belongs to a chapter of the late Edo period in which artists trained in sumi-e — the ink painting of the Chan and Zen tradition — pushed toward radical economy, entrusting a single brushstroke with the body, posture and humour of a small creature. This monochrome edition keeps the original register of ink on paper.
The drawing is built from very few strokes. A curved stroke gives the back, a shorter one below it the belly, two small ink dots the eyes. The white of the paper does the rest, giving the underside, the volume of the body and the air around the animal. A single red seal at the side holds the composition, the way a signature holds a calligraphy. The sheet is an exercise in the discipline of the sumi-e brush: there is no preliminary drawing, and the line must land on the first attempt.
Hung on a light wall the print becomes a quiet object — a small dark form on a wide white field. It suits a hallway, a reading nook, a workspace wall or any room where a small image can be looked at slowly. It stands cleanly next to a single calligraphy scroll, another sumi-e animal image, or a geometric Japandi line work.
Available as a poster on thick matte artist's paper, as a framed picture behind shatter-resistant acrylic glazing, or as a print on satin-coated cotton canvas, stretched on a wooden frame and ready to hang.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Matsumoto Hōji?
An eighteenth-century Japanese painter from the circle of ink painting. Little is documented about his life, but his small ink frog has circulated widely since the late Edo period as a model of sumi-e economy.
What is sumi-e?
Ink painting, a tradition adopted from Chinese Chan Buddhist practice and developed further in Japan from the Muromachi period onward. The painter works with a black ink on absorbent paper or silk, in strokes that cannot be corrected.
How does this edition differ from the colourised one?
This monochrome edition reproduces the original register of black ink on paper with the red seal. A separate "colourised" edition introduces a green tone into the frog's body.
Where does the print work particularly well?
On a light wall, in a hallway, a reading nook or a small workspace wall. It sits cleanly next to a calligraphy scroll, another sumi-e animal study, or plain geometric line work.
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Japan historical period: Edo 江戸 (1603-1868)
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