Red and White Plum Blossoms
The artist
Ogata Korin, a Japanese artist famous for his bold, decorative designs painted on golden screens.
What you see
Two plum trees, one with red blossoms and one with white, standing on each side of a curving silver-blue stream.
The story
Painted around 1710, this pair of folding screens celebrates early spring, when plum trees are the first to bloom in Japan.
The style
Korin used shiny gold backgrounds and a wavy, patterned river, mixing flat design with lifelike, delicate flowers.
Look closer
The swirling water in the middle is painted like a decorative pattern, so it looks both like a real stream and a design.
Where to see it
These treasured screens are kept at the MOA Museum of Art in Japan and are honored as a national treasure.
Fun fact
The picture is painted on folding screens that once stood on the floor to divide a room and decorate a home.