Two Macaques Reaching for the Moon

I know that recently we have featured a lot of animals. But when Justyna (who runs our social media accounts—don't forget to follow us on Instagram) found this painting, I just couldn't resist!  :)

This cute painting depicts a mother macaque dangling her baby by the arm as she hangs from a tendril suspended from a tree. The title of the masterpiece is a reference to the Zen Buddhist concept that simple people and animals often mistake the reflection of the moon for the moon itself. In this case it is both the babymacaque and its mother who are trying to grasp the moon’s reflection in the water—though not physically depicted here, its presence is understood. The subject also alludes to the dilemma of the human condition: we reach for the unreal (in this case the reflection of the moon) instead of looking for proper spiritual substance. Jakuchu has imbued the subject with both humor and affection—the macaques may be confused, but if they stop searching for the truth, all will be lost. And although the moon is not actually represented, its round shape is mirrored in the macaques’ faces.