A massive painting of a wolf prowling through dried autumn grasses under the moon by important 19th century artist Watanabe Kazen dated 1834. Ink on paper in a green silk border with white piping in the Mincho style popular throughout the 19th century. The scroll is 114 x 219 cm (44-3/4 x 86-1/4 inches). There is creasing and some staining to the paper, evidencing nearly 2 centuries of use. It is signed in the upper left and dated the 13th day of the 2nd month in the Spring of 1834. This seal is used on a fan painting held in the collection of the British Museum (collection number 1973,0226,0.69).
Watanabe Kazan (1793–1841) was born in Edo’s Kōjimachi district as the eldest son of a retainer of the financially struggling Tahara Domain, at the domain’s Edo residenceAt the age of eight, he became a companion to the young heir of the domain, and was later granted the name Noboru by the lord himself. The Watanabe family, which consisted of eleven members, lived in poverty and had to send the younger siblings into service. In order to help support his family, Kazan took up painting as a side occupation, even as he pursued his studies with diligence. Trained under such luminaries as Shirakawa Shizan, Kaneko Kinryō, and Tani Bunchō, he developed a refined style that fused Eastern brushwork with Western techniques such as shading, perspective, and dimensionality. By his mid-twenties, Kazan had gained renown for his sharply defined lines, dignified compositions, and insightful portrayals that conveyed both outward form and inner character. His legacy includes numerous Important Cultural Properties and Artworks, most notably the Portrait of Takami Senseki, designated a National Treasure. Work by the artist is held in the British Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, Seattle Art Museum.
