Herons under a willow tree

椿椿山筆　柳下白鷺図  江戸時代 　掛幅一幅 　絹本着色

Signature:
Hitsu

Seals:
Chinzan, Hitsu in

In this delicate painting two white herons are shown standing at the edge of a pond or marsh beneath a blossoming wild cherry tree and boughs of pale green willow, the latter tree painted without ink outlines. One of the herons extends his head down toward the water, just missing two passing fishes. The foreground is accented by the brilliant blue of the mallow (Monochoria korsakowii) and other aquatic plants, while a startled-looking swallow adds interest in the upper left section of the painting. Tsubaki Chinzan, a samurai painter, practiced a Chinese literati-style of painting. For his flower-and-bird paintings, he is said to have been especially influenced by the Chinese flower-and-bird painter Yun Shouping (1633–1690)