Landscape of Suzuka by Maruyama Okyo was created in 1781 on silk with colour and ink. The painting was used as a hanging scroll.
Maruyama Okyo in his paintings follows a distinctive philosophy, Shasei (drawing from life) while maintaining the Japanese aesthetic and Chinese Classic techniques with influence of the western naturalism. Maruyama Okyo was famous for adding the western influence in the traditional Japanese art during the time of Tokugawa Shogunate, where kano school artists were the court painters of the Edo period in Japan.
The painting demonstrates Maruyama Okyo's belief in Shasei that painting should be made from life.
Landscape of Suzuka is the perfect example of it as it features mountains, trees, misty weather with clarity yet keeping the softness and serenity of the artwork. Furthermore the use of empty space allows viewers to experience distance and gradual unfolding of the scene.
This combination of realism with restrained form and technique led to the foundation of Maruyama School of Art.
Unlike the artists of the late eighteenth Century, Maruyama Okyo was the pioneer of the naturalistic style of art in Japan. Landscape of Suzuka was created through the observation of the physical world with traditional Chinese techniques. Landscape of Suzuka is a balanced piece of art with refined brushwork. The artwork is currently housed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Landscape of Suzuka beautifully illustrates Maruyama Ōkyo’s shasei philosophy, blending Western naturalism with traditional Japanese ink techniques. The atmospheric mist and vast negative space evoke a quiet tranquility, inviting deep contemplation. Ōkyo captures the subtle balance between nature’s imposing presence and serene harmony, transforming a real landscape into a reflective spatial journey.
