Series; Juxtaposed Pictures of Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety
Chikanobu's Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety - The Chinese scholar Guo Jujing wrote the book "The Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Devotion" during the Yuan Dynasty. Inspired by the loss of his own parents, he scoured history for examples of the most respectful and devoted children. Alluding to the famous stories of the twenty-four children and their extraordinary devotion to their parents and relatives, Chikanobu's series juxtaposes the paragon in the upper panel with a more modern equivalent below. The artist plays off the old stories, offering serious parallels as well as lighthearted and humorous contrasts in the modern versions.
No. 7, Wang Xiang: Catching Fish for His Stepmother in Winter, 1890 - Charming scene of a beauty and young girl pausing on a stone bridge to watch a fisherman wading through deep water alongside his boat. A large carp leaps into the air above the rippling water, the sky framed by a blossoming cherry tree. The inset above shows the story of Wang Xiang (Osho in Japanese), whose stepmother wanted to eat fresh fish during the winter. To fulfill her wish, Wang Xiang went to a frozen pond and lay naked on the ice until it melted so that he could catch a fish for her. A great design with attractive color and fine detail, including bokashi shading on the water and sky, and burnishing on the black coat and umbrella.
Artist - Chikanobu (1838 - 1912)
Image Size - 13 3/4" x 9 1/4"
Condition - Excellent color and detail. Backed with paper. Faint staining near top.
