Artwork preview

Eels

Seki Shūkō

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The painting depicts two eels and several mushrooms on a beige background. The eels are positioned on the right side, extending from the top-left towards the bottom-right. They have long, slender bodies with a light-brown color and darker shading along their backs. The eels have small eyes and pinkish mouths. The top eel's head faces left, while the bottom eel's head faces left as well, slightly lower than the top eel. The eels' bodies overlap, with the top eel's body curving over the bottom one. There are six mushrooms with brown caps and white stems, scattered below the eels. The mushrooms are surrounded by sparse grass-like plants. The background is a solid beige color with a textured appearance. A vertical line of black Japanese characters is on the right side, accompanied by two small red seals below. The painting has a thin gold border around the edges. The title of the painting is "Eels" and the artist is Seki Shūkō.

Artwork Details

Date
ca. 1890–92
Medium
Album leaf; silk
Culture
Japan
Dimensions
509 × 624 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette