Gyrfalcon Hunting a Swan in Snow

Fukuda Suikō was born in Kyoto, where he specialized in painting birds in a realistic, traditional style. This screen adheres to the so-called “Three Whites” (sanpaku), a popular painting scheme incorporating three white elements—in this case, a gyrfalcon pursuing a swan against a wintry background. The steep angle of the falcon’s chase creates a diagonal movement across the screen. The heavy snowflakes scattered in the foreground are accented with an application of white calcium carbonate pigment, known as gofun.