Watanabe Shiko “Poppy Flowers with Dragonflies”

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IItem No.
Title	“Poppy Flowers with Dragonflies”
Overall size	178.0cm×53.9cm
Artwork size	95.8cm×40.0cm
Artist	By Watanabe Shiko (1683-1755)
Date Created	1683-1755
Price	Sold

　It depicts a cluster of red and white poppies quietly blooming and a group of blue dragonflies flying around them as if drawn by the poppies. The vivid red, white, and blue color scheme is beautiful.
　The motifs of poppy and dragonflies are painted in the Rimpa style, using a Mokkotsu technique. The tips of the poppy petals have fine stripes on them, indicating that the artist carefully observed and depicted every detail. The shading where the petals overlap gives the flowers a three-dimensional effect.

　The flowers and plants in Rimpa paintings are known for their high design quality, but the poppies and dragonflies in this work seem to have been painted with an awareness of realism.
　Poppy is a common subject in Rimpa paintings, but its combination with dragonflies is unusual. The graceful and elegant poppy and the lovely dragonfly with soft-looking wings. The artist has created a fragile atmosphere by leaving plenty of blank space in the painting and depicting them as if they were quietly nestled in a corner, making one feel as if one wants to protect them.

　Watanabe Shiko (1683-1755) was a painter active in Kyoto in the mid-Edo period. He first studied painting in the Kano school, and later, under the influence of Korin, mastered its decorative style.　
　From around 1708, he was in the service of the Konoe family, and is known for his energetic copying of old picture scrolls. In addition to “Irises screen,” he also painted on the walls of various temples and left behind a wide variety of works.

As an antique, it may have some scratches or blemishes. We recommend that you visit our store to check the condition.
If you wish, we will send you detailed photos of the item, so please feel free to contact us.