Night Scene with Towers (Ink and Light Color on Paper; by Yosa Buson)

Buson's Snowy Town under the Night Sky

The Night Scene with Towers (Ink and Light Color on Paper; by Yosa Buson) (紙本墨画淡彩夜色楼台図〈与謝蕪村筆〉) is a painting by Yosa Buson of the Edo period in a private collection, its location not disclosed, which in 2009 was designated a National Treasure.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single hanging scroll in ink and light colour on paper, first designated an Important Cultural Property in 1975.

According to the Agency, it appears to be a work of Buson's last years (he lived from 1716 to 1783).

The Painting

The Agency records a single hanging scroll painted in ink and light colour on paper.

According to the Agency, it contrasts a dark night sky, rendered with bold ink techniques, with mountains and rows of houses standing out white in the snow.

What to Look For

The Agency notes that Buson is celebrated, with Ike no Taiga, as a master who perfected Japanese literati painting, and that this work, fresh in feeling, captures superbly the poetic mood of a line on night-darkened towers and ten thousand snow-covered houses.

It shows the painting of Buson's last years, a poet who was also a master painter.

Visiting the Night Scene with Towers (Ink and Light Color on Paper; by Yosa Buson)

It is privately owned, and no official information on viewing could be found; watch for exhibition announcements.