Insects by Pond Side, Jakuchu

In accordance with his aims in Octopus and Fish, this excerpt from Colorful Realm of Living Beings depicts the rich vibrancy in the insects and other creatures that one might find by a pond. Yet again, Jakuchu uses extremely fine lines to detail every facet of the spider's web, or the butterfly's wings. He accentuates their colors with bright yellows and greens. It is clear again that he is using his observation of real creatures, and he's interested in almost scientifically describing their accurate anatomical forms. However, he again uses the background to suggest the natural context of the pond environment, but does not make any attempt to translate any real view of a pond that he may have based it on. Like in the fish painting, the image follows a two dimensional composition, with no individual creature being significantly farther away. The leaves are detailed, but do not appear to attach to any feature of landscape. This is because Jakuchu is more interested in a close study of individual life forms to capture their essence, than immersing the viewer in a real place.

Oliver Jue