Waterfalls in Spring and Autumn
春秋の滝
Hishida Shunso · 1909 (Meiji 42) · Hanging scroll
Left scroll of a pair (maple). Image: Source: Tokyo Fuji Art Museum (Work page (opens in a new tab)) (reduced in size on this site) CC0 (opens in a new tab) View larger
A pair of hanging scrolls by the Meiji-period Nihonga painter Hishida Shunso, painted on silk in 1909, showing waterfalls beside spring cherry blossoms and autumn maples. A work from his final years, it is held by the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum.
- Artist
- Hishida Shunso
- Date
- 1909 (Meiji 42)
- Medium / format
- Hanging scroll
About this work
The image shows the left scroll of the pair, which represents autumn. At the upper left, a maple with red leaves extends its branches, and beside it a single white waterfall falls straight down. Red leaves scatter here and there through the mist-filled air.
According to the museum, the right scroll shows cherry trees in full bloom and the left shows maples shedding their leaves, so that the moods of spring and autumn make a pair. The waterfall has no outlines, showing the results of the outline-free method that was mocked as moroutai (the "hazy style"). At the same time, the clear colors of the blossoms and leaves and the block-like geometric rendering of the rock faces show an attempt to move away from that method.
Shunso developed an eye disease in 1908 (Meiji 41), and this work is thought to have been painted during a brief remission. The museum notes similar attempts in Autumn Landscape of the same year (Eisei Bunko collection) and presents this as a fine work from his last years.
Where can I see it?
Exhibitions change over time. Check each museum's exhibition information before you visit.
Museums that hold this work
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Frequently asked questions
- Who painted Waterfalls in Spring and Autumn, and when?
- Waterfalls in Spring and Autumn is by Hishida Shunso, made in 1909 (Meiji 42). Medium: Hanging scroll.
- Where can I see Waterfalls in Spring and Autumn?
- It is held by Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. Exhibitions change, so check each museum's information before you visit.
Sources and references
- Tokyo Fuji Art Museum (in Japanese) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
- Japan Search (in Japanese) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
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