Shinobazu Pond

In the right foreground of the horizontal canvas, a peony planted in a reddish-brown pot is painted large. Two large blooms of pale pink and white are open, and beside them, below, sits a white pot holding small blue flowers. A thick tree trunk stands at the far right, and a tree stump is placed at the left foreground. Beyond them the water spreads quietly, and on the far shore rows of houses and a hall on an island in the pond can be seen small.

The composition draws a sharp contrast between very large near objects and very small distant scenery, giving an immediate sense of the distance between. Shading is applied to the petals and pots, expressing the three-dimensionality of the objects. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs' commentary, it is based on the real view of Shinobazu Pond that Naotake saw while serving in Edo, and the rich color made with imported pigments is also cited as a highlight.

Naotake learned Western painting techniques from Hiraga Gennai, who had been invited to the Akita domain, and in Edo he drew the illustrations for "Kaitai Shinsho" (New Text on Anatomy). He did not, however, learn directly from Western oil painting; his models are said to have been mainly illustrations in Dutch books. Its novelty as Akita ranga lies in taking on Western ways of seeing while painting on silk with Japanese pigments.

This work was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1968 and is owned by the Akita Museum of Modern Art (Yokote). The museum says it shows the work once a year, so it is best to check the exhibition schedule before visiting.