Japanese Two Panel Screen: Forest Scene on Silver by Suzuki Shonen

Japanese Two Panel Screen: Forest Scene on Silver by Suzuki Shonen, Meiji period (1868 - 1912) painting of pine trees with a red wood vine on wonderfully patinated silver leaf. Beautiful depth of field and a modern feeling. Calligraphy on the left reads: Shonen Senshi 1877. This is the signature of Suzuki Shonen (1849 - 1918), one of the leading Kyoto-based painters of the Meiji era. He was born in Kyoto, the son of Suzuki Hyakunen who founded the Suzuki school of painting, which Suzuki Shonen eventually took over. He developed a unique and bold style amidst the modernization of the Meiji era, with the pine tree being a central theme in his work (the "sho" of his name is the same character for pine tree). He exhibited internationally around the turn of the century and won many awards in places like Chicago and Paris (as well as Japan). He was head of the Northern Division of the Kyoto Prefecture Painting School from 1881 - 1888 (this division followed the influence of Sesshu). Suzuki Shonen's work can be found in the permanent collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The British Museum, and the Art Gallery of New South Wales. He is considered by many to be one of the most important artists of the Meiji period.