On View at National Gallery of Art, Washington, March 30 through April 29, 2012
Washington, DC―One of Japan’s most renowned cultural treasures will come to Washington, DC, in celebration of the centennial of Japan’s gift of 3,000 cherry trees to the nation’s capital. Entitled Colorful Realm of Living Beings (J. Dōshoku sai-e; c. 1757–1766), this 30-scroll set of bird-and-flower paintings on silk is the centerpiece of the landmark exhibition Colorful Realm: Japanese Bird-and-Flower Paintings by Itō Jakuchū (1716–1800), on view at the National Gallery of Art’s West Building from March 30 through April 29, 2012. Exhibited for four weeks only (owing to their fragility), these works will be in Washington during the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs from March 20 through April 27, 2012.
Never before shown in its entirety outside of Japan, Colorful Realm of Living Beings provides a panoramic pictorial survey of flora and fauna, both mythical and actual, reflecting the highest standards of artistic and technical accomplishment in Japanese painting. To evoke the work’s original religious context, the Gallery will install it with Jakuchū’s Śākyamuni Triptych (The Buddha Śākyamuni, Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, and Bodhisattva Samantabhadra), which belongs to the Jōtenkaku Museum, Shōkokuji Monastery, Kyoto. In 1765 Jakuchū―who was active in Kyoto during the mid-Edo period―had donated Colorful Realm (then comprising 24 scrolls) and the triptych to Shōkokuji, where they were displayed in a large temple room during Buddhist rituals. Colorful Realm was donated to the Imperial Household in 1889; since then, it has been shown together with the triptych only once, in 2007 at the Jōtenkaku Museum, Shōkokuji.
Organization and Support
The exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Art, The Imperial Household Agency, and Nikkei Inc., in association with the Embassy of Japan.
It has been made possible through the generous support of Toyota, Nikkei Inc., Airbus, the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, and The Exhibition Circle of the National Gallery of Art. Additional sponsorship from Japan has been provided by Daikin Industries, Ltd., Ito En, Ltd., Mitsubishi Corporation, and Panasonic Corporation. Additional support has been provided by the Asian Cultural Council.
It is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.
“The National Gallery of Art is deeply honored to present this exquisite set of 30 scrolls to visitors from around the world who will be in Washington for a very special National Cherry Blossom Festival,” said Earl A. Powell III, director, National Gallery of Art. “The Gallery has a long history of working closely with our Japanese colleagues to present important exhibitions, including The Tokugawa Collection: Noh Robes and Masks (1977); Japan: The Shaping of Daimyo Culture 1185–1868 (1988–1989); and Edo: Art in Japan 1615–1868 (1998–1999).”
“This is a great event to commemorate the centennial. These works are very popular and highly admired, but they are rarely exhibited even in Japan. I understand that this is the very first time that Colorful Realm of Living Beings will be shown in its entirety outside of Japan. This exhibition exemplifies our strong friendship. We Japanese are so grateful to Americans for showing solidarity and friendship with us after the Great Earthquake of March 11,” said His Excellency Ichiro Fujisaki, Ambassador of Japan to the United States.
“The Japanese loan of a cultural treasure to the United States during the centennial celebration marks another watershed moment for Americans and Japanese. It honors the spirit of the original gift of cherry blossom trees from Japan in 1912, and emphasizes the importance of cross-cultural exchange and understanding. We are honored to have such an important exhibition as part of the 2012 Festival,” said Diana Mayhew, president, National Cherry Blossom Festival, Inc.
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