Parakeets among Hydrangeas and Poppies, after 1770, S? Shiseki, Japanese, 1715 - 1786, 13 1/2 ¡Ñ 22 5/8 in. (34.29 ¡Ñ 57.47 cm) (image)49 3/8 ¡Ñ 28 1/16 in. (125.41 ¡Ñ 71.28 cm) (mount, without roller), Ink and color on silk, Japan, 18th century, Two parakeets rest among flowers on an early summer day. The composition is dominated by the large branch of hydrangea but anchored in the lower left corner by a rock and colorful poppies. Chinese painting techniques, including shading on the petals and leaves and a light, uneven wash of ink in the background, are used to heighten the sense of three-dimensionality.