National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

While this subject has several Chinese precedents in Sung and Yuan colored paintings, Sotatsu painted the two grebes and two lotus flowers with only black ink, giving the painting a clean, simple feeling. Nevertheless, the artist exquisitely expresses the contrast between the blooming white lotus and the ripening lotus fruit. Contrast is also created between the two birds, one of which swims ahead with a half-open, upturned bill, as if in search of new bait, while the other quietly floats on.
Though this painting bears no signature, only a red "Inen" seal in the lower-left corner, it represents the technical perfection of Sotatsu's ink painting.