Skip to content
Go to homepage
Human in the LoopJonathan Harrell’s Commonplace Book

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York:

A sketchbook-style composition of two tree studies painted in monochrome ink. The left tree is curved and leafy, while the right is bare and upright. Vertical Japanese calligraphy on the right balances the minimalist aesthetic.
Taiga Hall Painting Album, by Ike no Taiga
Traditional Chinese-style landscape painting on a book spread, showing misty mountains in the background and a quiet hut nestled among sparse trees in the foreground. Ink washes and delicate brushwork create a sense of serene emptiness and vastness.
Album of Marvelous Landscapes, by Tanomura Chokunyū
Five-panel gold screen inscribed with Japanese waka poetry in flowing cursive script. The gentle, wavering brushstrokes evoke a refined atmosphere, typical of classical Japanese courtly style. Each poem is rendered with grace and subtle variation.
Album of Twelve Waka from Poetry Competition of Poets of Different Eras, by Emperor Go-Yōzei
Two-panel folding screen featuring bold, freeform Japanese calligraphy in black ink on a shimmering gold background. The brushstrokes are expressive and varied in size, evoking a spontaneous, poetic rhythm. A red seal stamp marks the artist’s signature.
Five Freestyle Haiku and a Chinese Couplet, by Kawahigashi Hekigotō
Elegant Chinese cursive script flows down six vertical paper panels mounted on a golden folding screen. The brushwork varies in pressure and fluidity, showcasing the beauty of calligraphy as visual art as well as literature.
Screens with Chinese Poems, by Ryōkan Taigu