https://emuseum.cornell.edu/internal/media/dispatcher/72621/fullWaves and the Rising Sun42 1/2 × 11 3/8 inches (107.9 × 28.9 cm)Hanging scroll: ink and colors on paperGift of Dr. and Mrs. Frederick Baekeland77.086.0020The sun, rendered in dilute red wash, rises above a pair of breaking waves. Translation of the inscription: "The sun above mulberry branches at the summit"Paintings19718012350Nagasawa RosetsuJapanExecuted in a free, abbreviated manner, Rosetsu's painting depicts the sun rising over a pair of breaking waves. An inscription by the artist's friend Minagawa Kien translates as "The sun above mulberry branches at the summit." The meaning is enigmatic, but might be a reference to a Japanese saying that "mulberry trees grow where the sun rises." Since no mulberry trees are depicted here, the connection between painting and phrase might have been a satirical inside-joke between friends.77.086.002_Disc0478_81155021