Fishing on a River after Rain

A brief inscription written in Chinese characters describes the subject of this screen, which is dated 1764 and inscribed with a brief verse:  "A fresh breeze sweeps the grass after rain has ceased; the river glows in the setting sun, and fish draw near to men."
    
The painter Yosa Buson was among the important artists of mid-eighteenth-century Japan who brought to maturity the style of Nanga-school painting, which was influenced by Chinese painting of the late Ming and Qing dynasties.  Especially noteworthy is Buson's ability to portray changing aspects of nature.  In this screen and it's pair F1961.4, he evokes contrasting images of similar natural settings.  A tranquil mood prevails in Clear Evening on a Willow Bank; whereas, this screen shows willows and grasses swept by brisk winds in a heavy, humid atmosphere. The effect of translucent color is enhanced by the luminous support of satin-weave silk, a material used by some Japanese painters, who adopted the practice of painting on satin from their Chinese contemporaries.