Suzuki Kason, Pine, Bird and Spider, a 2-fold screen painting

Japan
Meiji era, late 19th - early 20th century AD

The composition is focused to the centre of the left-hand panel, where a spider spins a web down from the branch of a pine tree, on which sits a bird, watching the spider intently. The expanse of unpainted gold leaf is offset by the dark ink washes of the tree trunk which cuts diagonally across the top left corner. The only use of colour on the screen is the blue plumage on the bird's back. The delicate composition conjures up the feeling of a moment in nature glimpsed only by chance, but one which holds the attention.

Suzuki Kason (1860-1919) was a successful painter in the Nihonga style, a movement which tried to inject new vigour into traditional painting methods. He was involved in the organization of several exhibitions and was a member of many painting societies. He himself frequently exhibited and won prizes both in Japan and abroad, including at the Japan-British Exhibition in London in 1910.

The signature reads 'Kason' and the seal also reads 'Kason'.