Cucumbers

For each of the six leaves in this album, Zeshin chose a different motif to evoke a particular season. Here, two cucumbers represent the bounty of late summer and early fall. Despite the ordinary subject matter, the work shows Zeshin's great skill as a lacquer painter. In it, he exquisitely rendered every detail in crisp contours and glossy washes, then added a humorous touch by including a tiny ant on the underside of the nearest cucumber.