Lot description
Frame height 14.25 in, width 12.75 in; sight height 8.5 in., width 6.25 in. In this intimate spring scene, the branches of a leafy laden nandina plant, whose bright red berries are visible amidst the leaves, provide a canopy for a pair of mandarin ducks approaching the shoreline. Because mandarin ducks were thought to mate for life, they were symbols of conjugal fidelity, and this painting can be assumed to celebrate such a theme or express wishes for marital bliss for newlyweds. Its appeal, however, lies in the way it presents an auspicious subject in such a manner as to allow the viewer to experience the lyricism of a pure verdant setting, masterfully suggesting the lure of the water and approaching swim. Keibun was the younger brother of Matsumura Gekkei, otherwise known as Goshun, the founder of the Shijo school of painting. Keibuns work combines realistic representation based upon shasei (drawing from nature), for which Goshun was known, with a poetic quality most evident in his depictions of natural scenery and the passing of seasons.