The Moon in the Four Seasons

Cherry blossoms and the full moon, the summer moon over willow trees and humid night air, autumn moon seen through a close-up of grape vines, and the clear winter moon shining on an old snow-laden plum tree. Shunsô's perceptive observation of nature shines through in each of these clear presentations of the seasonal characteristics of the moon. The fuzzy edge between moon and sky is the môrôtai method previously studied by the painter, while he turned to tarashikomi ink puddling in his rendition of grape leaves. The cherry blossoms reveal a blending of shell white with inky black, while the sky has been brushed a pale blue to avoid any boredom in the blank sky. These works filled with still calm were painting about a year before Shunsô's death, when his eyes had been weakened by illness.