Morning Glories
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Ink |
| Current Location: | The Metropolitan Museum of Art |
| Location History: | Morning Glories was created in Japan during the early nineteenth century, likely in Edo (present-day Tokyo), where Suzuki Kiitsu worked as a leading painter of the Rinpa school. The folding screens remained in Japan until the mid-twentieth century, when they were acquired by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1954 through the Seymour Fund, becoming part of the museum's Asian Art collection, where they are preserved today. |
Suzuki Kiitsu's masterpiece, "Morning Glories," as a profound interpretation of fleeting beauty, renewal, and the ephemerality of the natural world. Created in the early nineteenth century, this Rinpa school painting portrays a vibrant cluster of delicate blossoms stretching across a pair of folding screens. The interpretation highlights how the bold, lively indigo color of the flowers makes them feel extraordinarily alive—almost as if they are physically present right in front of the viewer. Rather than symmetrically occupying the canvas, the ivy vines follow a rhythmic, organic trail, clumping up in certain areas while intentionally leaving empty spaces open. This deliberate balance, sensitivity to changing seasons, and precision in rhythm ultimately evoke a sense of awe, enchantment, and wonder at the gargantuan scale and transience of nature.