# School of Fish

- By: Soga Shohaku (Japanese, 1730–1781)
- Date: Mid- to late 18th century
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
- Classification: Painting
- Culture: Japan
- Credit line: Purchased with funds provided by the Alsdorf Foundation
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/45753)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://invisiblenetwork.ai/thumbs/web/8737b526e0d16c21f03b2d72faccf000.jpg
- Who can see it: Tweens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

Soga Shōhaku used a wide format here to depict a school of salmon swimming along the current of a stream or river, with the fish looping in front of the viewer before heading off into the distance. The farther away they appear to be, the more abbreviated they become, enhancing the sense of their speed. In the 18th century, Japanese artists increasingly relied on shasei (sketches) drawn from direct observation to conceive their compositions. They also began to use shasei as the basis for large-scale works such as screens, sliding doors, and hanging scrolls like this one.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0