Axial Commons Image Treasury
Woodblock print of a man in a robe gazing at two butterflies, with a fan, sword, and cup on the floor beside him.

A Philosopher Watching a Pair of Butterflies

A seated man in a dark robe rests his clasped hands on a low table, gazing upward toward two butterflies in the upper left. Beside him lie a folded fan, a sheathed sword, a cup, and a sleeping figure. The image is a monochrome-like ink outline with pale washes on an open sheet.

Artist
Katsushika Hokusai
Date
c. 1814
Medium
Color woodblock; album sheet
Source
Art Institute of Chicago
Size
1686 × 1144 px
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Public domain · Art Institute of Chicago releases this image under CC0 (latest date 1819).
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: CC0 (Art Institute of Chicago, is_public_domain=true)

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Art Institute of Chicago, Frederick W. Gookin Collection

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