Wind God

Artists

Description

Painted primarily in ink and ink wash on paper, this hanging scroll presents the Wind God Fūjin, a demon-like spirit who carries the wind in a large sack. In this whimsical rendering, a horned Wind God with bulging eyes and beastly talons is forcefully propelled backwards as he releases the wind from his enormous bag, the voluminous sack creating a round, moon-like expanse of white behind him. Graded ink washes around the figure suggest clouds, and a touch of red pigment on the mouth adds a note of ferocity to this otherwise playful depiction. The signature and seal of artist Kobayashi Eitaku (1843-1890) appear at the lower left corner of the composition.

Dimensions

painting proper: H. 128.7 x W. 55 cm (50 11/16 x 21 5/8 in.) mounting, inlcuding suspension core and roller ends: H. 206.4 x W. 78.6 cm (81 1/4 x 30 15/16 in.)

Provenance

Louis V. Ledoux Collection, New York (by 1948), by descent; to his son L. Pierre Ledoux, New York (1948-2001), by inheritance; to his widow Joan F. Ledoux, New York, (2001-2013), gift; to Harvard Art Museums, 2013. Footnotes: 1. Louis V. Ledoux (1880-1948) 2. L. Pierre Ledoux (1912-2001) 3. On long term loan to Harvard Art Museums from 1981 to 2013.