Spring [left of a pair of Flowers and Insects of Spring and Fall]

A renowned scholar-painter in 19th century Japan, Yamamoto Baiitsu used the difficult “boneless” technique of applying pigment directly to the paper, without outlines, or “bones, ” to impart an almost palpable delicacy to leaves and petals. As demonstrated in these screens, he also was skilled at capturing nature’s complicated profusion of flora. Unlike his predecessors, who had little firsthand knowledge of Chinese painting styles, Baiitsu had direct access to Ming dynasty bird-and-flower paintings, imported through the port city of Nagasaki.