“Step into a meticulously painted garden from 1595. This two-panel screen showcases exquisite flower arrangements, highlighted with gold, offering a window into the refined decorative arts of its time.”
This vibrant two-panel screen from 1595 captures a fleeting moment of natural beauty, celebrating the art of flower arrangement. The artist, though unknown, has meticulously rendered a variety of blossoms and foliage, each petal and leaf painted with delicate strokes of ink and color, further enhanced with shimmering gold. The screen format itself suggests a dynamic presentation, perhaps intended to divide a space or simply to be admired for its decorative elegance. The choice of a two-panel screen allows for a broader, more expansive display of these botanical studies, making the most of the ink, colors, and gold on paper medium. This work offers a glimpse into the aesthetic sensibilities of late 16th-century Japan, where such screens were both functional and highly artistic objects, bringing the beauty of the natural world indoors.
- Artist
- Artist Unknown - The Mercat Cross, Aberdeen
- Date
- 1595
- Medium
- Two-panel screen; ink, colors and gold on paper
- Location
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Dimensions
- Painting: 153.5 × 166 cm (60 7/16 × 65 3/8 in.); Frame: 169.5 × 182 cm (66 3/4 × 71 11/16 in.)
- Collection
- Arts of Asia
- Culture
- Japan
- Credit line
- Kate S. Buckingham Endowment
What to Notice
Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.
Observe the delicate gold leaf outlining many of the petals and leaves.
Notice the subtle variations in ink wash, creating depth in the foliage.
Look closely at the individual flower types; can you identify any?
See how the two panels create a continuous, flowing composition.
Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through Flower Arrangements — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
Artist Unknown - The Mercat Cross, Aberdeen
This 'Artist Unknown' represents a vast collection of anonymous creators, whose works like 'Boston Common' and 'Self Portrait' offer glimpses into diverse historical periods and artistic practices.
Further Works by Aberdeen
Southern Barbarians
1625 · Art Institute of Chicago
Baskets with Flowers of the Four Seasons
1701 · Art Institute of Chicago
Sketchbook: Souvenir of Naples
1821 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Five Points
1822 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Side Chair
1750 · Art Institute of Chicago
Pair of Side Chairs
1770 · Art Institute of Chicago
Punch Bowl
1789 · Art Institute of Chicago
Chest of Drawers
1800 · Art Institute of Chicago
More works to explore
Beyond Aberdeen: works from the same years.
Same era · 1580s–1610s
Saint Francis Kneeling in Meditation
El Greco · 1597 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1580s–1610s
The Entombment of Christ
Caravaggio · 1600 · Pinacoteca Vaticana
Same era · 1580s–1610s
The Capture of Samson
Peter Paul Rubens · 1609 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1580s–1610s
The Feast in the House of Simon
El Greco (Doménikos Theotokópoulos) and workshop · 1608 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1580s–1610s
Winter Landscape with Snowfall near Antwerp
Jan Brueghel the Elder · 1610
Same era · 1580s–1610s
The Calling of Saint Matthew
Hendrick ter Brugghen · 1609 · Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
Same era · 1580s–1610s
Merrymakers at Shrovetide
Frans Hals · 1610 · Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1580s–1610s
Flowers and Birds
Zhou Zhimian · 1595 · Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Same era · 1580s–1610s
Female Head
Gaetano Gandolfi · 1592 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1580s–1610s
Fiori di Ricami Nuovamente Posti in Luce, page 18 (recto)
Matteo Florimi · 1591 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1580s–1610s
The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne
Georges de La Tour · 1600 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1580s–1610s
Half Armor for the Foot Tournament
Pompeo della Cesa · 1585 · Cleveland Museum of Art