Flowering Plants of Summer and Autumn

This work was painted by Sakai Hoitsu on the reverse side of 'Wind God and Thunder God', a folding-screen painting by Ogata Korin. It was removed from the back of Korin's painting in 1974 and the two works are now mounted on separate screens. Flowering plants from summer and autumn are depicted on a silver backdrop reminiscent of moonlight. The screen to your right features summer plants like lilies and Japanese bindweed. The tips of their leaves dip toward the ground in a crest-fallen manner. Rainwater flows across the surface in the background. This device allows the painter to depict a sudden summer storm without drawing actual raindrops. On the screen to your left, autumn plants like kudzu vines, thoroughworts, pampas grass, and wild grapes are blown from right to left by a strong wind.

The sheer power of the wind is conveyed by the colors of the upturned leaves and the sight of wild grape leaves swirling in the air. The summer scene was originally painted on the back of Korin's Thunder God screen, with the autumn scene painted on the back of the Wind God screen. In other words, the summer plants are being battered by rains caused by the Thunder God, while the autumn plants are being blown about by gales whipped up by the Wind God. Hoitsu's work mirrors Korin's in several other ways. While the former depicts earth using silver hues, for example, the latter depicts the heavens in a keynote gold. Hoitsu's admiration for Korin is in full display in these interplays.

— Museum description: Tokyo National Museum (CC BY 4.0), via ColBase / Japan Search.