Hundreds of Flowers in Bloom

This scroll presents a faithful rendition of 100 flowering plant varieties that bloom at different times of the year. The end of the scroll is inscribed with a text that can be interpreted as, "While I must paint one hundred varieties of plants and flowers under orders from the government, there are some I have forgotten and thus this scroll is a trial run and I give it that name and hope that it will instruct people about the flowers and grasses of the four seasons." This inscription indicates the botanical studies nature of this work. Basing his work on the boneless, or outline-free style of realistic bird and flower painting from the Chinese Qing dynasty, Chokunyû succeeded in creating a lovely composition filled with detailed depiction and a vivid color palette.