Gibbons Reaching for the Moon
1600s
Kano Tan’yū, a master of the Kano school, brings a classic fable to life with this vertical scroll. You see a chain of gibbons dangling precariously from a tree branch, all reaching down toward a glowing moon at the bottom. It’s a visual retelling of the famous story where monkeys try to catch the moon’s reflection in the water, only to realize it’s an illusion—a perfect metaphor for chasing the unattainable. The ink wash technique makes the fur look soft and the movement feel fluid, almost like they are swaying in the wind.
- Technique
- Ink wash
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