Hen and Rooster with Grapevine - Itō Jakuchū

A detailed study of a rooster and hen perched on a grapevine, rendered with the precision and naturalism characteristic of Itō Jakuchū's Edo period work.

Itō Jakuchū was a prominent painter of the mid-Edo period, known for his meticulous observation of the natural world. This work belongs to his celebrated series, 'Dōshoku Sai-e' (Colourful Realm of Living Beings), a collection of thirty scrolls commissioned for the Shōkoku-ji temple in Kyoto. The composition features a white rooster perched above a hen, who rests upon a vine laden with grapes.

Jakuchū employed a technique involving multiple layers of pigment applied to the reverse of the silk, which creates a soft, luminous quality in the plumage of the birds. The rooster is rendered with precise attention to the texture of its feathers, while the hen exhibits a more subdued, rounded form. The grapevine provides a structural anchor for the birds, its dark, muted leaves contrasting with the pale tones of the poultry.

Unlike many of his contemporaries who favoured the looser brushwork of the literati style, Jakuchū maintained a rigorous, disciplined approach to form. His interest in avian subjects was well-documented, and he reportedly kept many chickens in his garden to study their movements and anatomy directly. This dedication to empirical observation resulted in a high degree of naturalism, yet the arrangement remains stylised, typical of the decorative traditions of the period. The background is a neutral, earthy tone, which allows the subtle colouration of the birds and the fruit to emerge without distraction. This print captures the quiet interaction between the two subjects, reflecting the artist's ability to imbue traditional subject matter with a sense of individual character and presence.