Egrets, willows, and autumn plants (one of a pair)

A symbol of success, the elegant egret (Casmerodius modestus) is a favorite subject in Japanese painting. White- feathered Eastern great egrets appear in these screen paintings in both spring and autumn. The transition from one season to the other is depicted from right to left. Spring appears on the right screen, and autumn appears on the left screen.

The inscribed signature [Kokyo Mitsunobu Shinpitsu] and seal suggest this work was painted by Kano Mitsunobu (1575–1608). We believe these were added to the painting sometime after the middle of the seventeenth century. The painter of these screens remains unidentified.