University News | May 11, 2012

Japanese nature painting exhibit is National Gallery's seventh most popular ever

Suite of Japanese nature paintings draws more visitors than 1976 King Tut exhibit

**Peonies and Butterflies (c. 1757)** | Courtesy of the Museum of the Imperial Collections, The Imperial Household Agency

Colorful Realm: Japanese Bird-and-Flower Paintings by Itō Jakuchū (1716–1800) was the seventh most-visited show in the National Gallery of Art's history, as measured by the number of visitors per day.

The exhibit, which closed April 29, drew an average of 7,473 visitors each day of its month-long run, placing it just ahead of the National Gallery's 1976 hosting of the international traveling exhibit Treasures of Tutankhamun.

The suite of Japanese nature paintings by the eighteenth-century painter Itō Jakuchū was temporarily loaned by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan to the National Gallery in order to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. It was curated by professor of history of art and architecture Yukio Lippit.

All 33 paintings are rarely shown together, even in Japan, and the exhibition in Washington, D.C., marked the first time they had been displayed outside Japan.

You might also like

Modern building surrounded by trees and a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.

Harvard will rename the building following a $100 million gift from Stuart Zimmer ’91.

Construction site featuring tall concrete structures, cranes, and a blue sky with clouds.

Pritzker Hall, designed for collaboration, should be complete in 2027.

Massachusetts Hall at Harvard Red brick building with a large clock on top, surrounded by green trees.

With a grade inflation vote and in the courts, the University argued that it’s taking steps to change.

Most popular

A blue refrigerator covered with animal pictures, notes, and drawings, surrounded by greenery.

An animal’s journey from grief to love shows how much humans need each other, too.

Skyline view of Harvard University with trees in autumn colors and a river under a cloudy sky.

Harvard’s Class of 2029 Reflects Shifts in Racial Makeup After Affirmative Action Ends

International students continue to enroll amid political uncertainty; mandatory SATs lead to a drop in applications.

Three smiling individuals in business attire, standing outdoors with greenery in the background.

Meet Harvard’s 2026 Student Commencement Speakers

Two undergraduates and a Ph.D. candidate will address the graduating class on May 28.

Explore More From Current Issue

Racing driver gives a thumbs up from inside a car, wearing a helmet and safety gear.

Alumni Profiles

Harvard graduate and NASCAR racer Patrick Staropoli on pedals, attention, and fearlessness.

Label showing the anatomy of a worker bee, featuring a detailed illustration.

Museums & Collections

Science and art capture the microscopic natural world.

A vibrant group of dancers in colorful outfits poses on a stage with shiny decorations.

Arts & Culture

The Harvard Arts Medalist wants his smash-hit Cats revival to reach “as many young queer people” as possible.