Maruyama Okyo, Cranes, 1772, Pair of six panel screens; ink, color, and gold leaf on paper; Mount 67 ¼ x 137 ¾ x ¾ in. each, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of Camilla Chandler Frost in honor of Robert T. Singer. Photo © 2012 Museum Associates / LACMA
Maruyama Okyo’s screens of “Cranes”was acquired in 2012 by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Maruyama Okyo (1733-95) is pivotal to Japanese art history for being one of the first artists to paint directly from nature rather than from paintings and sketches.
Of his five most famous pairs of screens, four are registered National Treasures by the Japanese government and may therefore never leave Japan except on lone.
Only these legendary screens remain unregistered, and on Feb. 22, 2011 after two-year campaign by LACM’s Curator of Japanese Art, Robert T. Singer, the Ministry of Culture of Japan granted an official export license to LACMA for the opportunity to acquire these screens.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Japanese Art at LACMA: Celebrating 10 Years of the Japanese Art Acquisitions Group
Pavilion for Japanese Art
December 24, 2016–May 7, 2017
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 11 am–5 pm
Friday: 11 am–8 pm
Saturday, Sunday: 10 am–7 pm
Closed Wednesdays
The Japanese Art Acquisitions Group (JAAG) was established in 2008 to support the acquisition efforts of the Japanese art department of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
This exhibition is a testament to the success of this endeavor, and celebrates the first 10 years of acquisitions made by the Japanese Art Acquisitions Group, or through the efforts of individual JAAG members.
