Seventy-Two Peaks Under the Blue Sky with Mount Furong1785 · Study 1980.28

Context from the museum

The low height of this folding screen suggests its use as a partition in a small tearoom. An inscription identifies the scene as the 72-peak Heng mountain range in Hunan, China, associated with Buddhist and Daoist traditions and celebrated in poetry. Special mention in the inscription is made of Mount Furong, one of the peaks in the range. Matsumura Goshun may have drawn inspiration from his teacher, Yosa Buson (与謝蕪村) (1716–1783), whose final work depicted the same mountain range.

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

A detail to notice

By painting on silver and gold foil, Matsumura Goshun created an alluring surface and deep space in this surprisingly spare vista.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected image measurement for Seventy-Two Peaks Under the Blue Sky with Mount Furong is 275.2 cm wide and 51.5 cm high, equivalent to approximately 108.3 × 20.3 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 5.34:1. The rectangular bounding area is 1.42 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 91.7% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 12.4 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 Seventy-Two Peaks Under the Blue Sky with Mount Furong in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Eight-panel folding screen; ink with gold and silver foil on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this horizontal composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 275.2 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?