Crossing at Sanoc. 1600–1640 · Study 1949.554

Context from the museum

Like many paintings from the Sōtatsu studio, a Kyoto-based atelier that ran the shop Tawaraya, this one is done in ink, mineral colors, and gold, and is formally reminiscent of 12th- and 13th-century paintings associated with the Japanese aristocracy. It depicts a man on horseback with two attendants crossing a bridge that once spanned the Kino River in Sano in eastern Wakayama Prefecture. The composition was inspired by a poem by Fujiwara no Teika (1162–1241) that translates as follows: I stop my horse, but there is no shelter as I brush off my sleeves at Sano Crossing in the evening snow.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting only measurement for Crossing at Sano is 121.4 cm wide and 125.9 cm high, equivalent to approximately 47.8 × 49.6 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.96:1. The rectangular bounding area is 1.53 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 40.5% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 89.3 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Crossing at Sano in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Hanging scroll mounted as a single-panel screen; ink, color, and gold on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this near-square composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 121.4 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?