Two sparrows and a maple (one of a pair of hanging scrolls)

This pair of hanging scrolls represents the two seasons that many Japanese people love best: spring and autumn. At the right is a spring scene of a flowering cherry branch with two sparrows. At the left are two sparrows and maple branches with red autumn leaves.

Both paintings are in a tall and extremely narrow format that would be challenging to any painter. To capture the essence of nature in these spaces, Shungaku created a composition whose edges cut off the tree branches, leaving only their tips in the image. This enabled him to depict the leaves and tiny birds as if seen through binoculars.