The seal on the painting suggests that this was a work made during Nagasawa Rosetsu’s late thirties. The two men on horseback seem to be people of “Ko” from the western part of China. This appears to be a hunting scene, as evidenced by one of the men, with one holding a hare from the waist and the other standing with a dog at the foot of the bridge.

In addition to this work being a rare depiction of a snowy hunting scene, the work displays the rich aesthetic charms of the so-called “eccentric” painter, Rosetsu. Featuring delicate brushstrokes alongside a bold composition, the work skillfully incorporates Rosetsu’s humor with the inherited style of his teacher, Maruyama Okyo.

Learn more about Nagasawa Rosetsu, here