Spring and autumn landscape

In these dynamic spring and autumn landscapes, Okada Hanko interprets stylistic elements from the works of two famous Chinese scholar-painters. On the right, a farmer, heading for the fields, drives his ox toward a bridge. Fresh green vegetation and flowering plums at the foot of the mountains suggest the beginning of spring. To portray this scene Hanko uses the dry, sparse, delicate brushstrokes associated with the Chinese painter Ni Zan (1301–1374), who is said to have used ink as if it were gold. On the left, pale red-brown tones signify autumn. A fisherman’s boat drifts on a chilly river, and the buildings sit silent under tall pines. Here, Hanko uses the wet, broad, horizontal strokes that are identified with the Chinese painter Mi Fu (1051–1107).

A well-known artist active in the Kyoto-Osaka region, Hanko studied painting under his father, Okada Beisanjin (1744–1820), a powerful and individualistic painter who advocated Chinese literati-painting styles. In his earlier years, Hanko worked in the family rice shop and served Lord Toto, the clan master of Ise. In 1822 he resigned from government work to live an independent life as an ink painter, spending time in the company of like-minded friends devoted to art and literature. Hanko’s distinctive style is evident in the spare, sensitive handling of detail and his lighthearted lyricism.