In this talk, Rachel Saunders of the Harvard Art Museums and William (Ned) Friedman of the Arnold Arboretum discuss the Japanese black pine (黒松 kuromatsu), or Pinus thunbergii. After Rachel takes a close look at a dynamic painted specimen by Itō Jakuchū 伊藤若冲 (1716–1800) in the Feinberg Collection, Ned brings viewers into the landscape of the Arnold Arboretum to learn about the arboretum’s rich history and the live specimen’s unique characteristics.

Painting Edo at the Arnold Arboretum is a collaboration between the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University and the Harvard Art Museums, inspired by the exhibition Painting Edo: Japanese Art from the Feinberg Collection. Observing artworks from the exhibition alongside the living collections of the arboretum, we invite you to marvel at the remarkable accuracy and spirit with which artists of the Edo period (1615–1868) rendered their botanical subjects.

Discover the Conifer Collection at the Arnold Arboretum, which is free to visit and open every day from sunrise to sunset. Please visit our Vimeo page for more offerings related to Painting Edo at the Arnold Arboretum.

Led by:
Rachel Saunders, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Curator of Asian Art, Harvard Art Museums

William (Ned) Friedman, Director of the Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University

Pamela Thompson, Manager of Adult Education, Arnold Arboretum

Molly Ryan, Programs Manager, Harvard Art Museums

Work Explored:
Itō Jakuchū, Old Pine, Japanese, Edo period, c. 1796. Hanging scroll; ink on silk. Promised gift of Robert S. and Betsy G. Feinberg, TL42147.7.