| 1 | Sesshu [BDS_00001;1] |
| 2 | Known as Sesshu (1420 - 1506), he was an ink painter and Zen monk active in the Muromachi period in the latter half of the 15th century, and was called a master painter. [BDS_00001;2] |
| 3 | He revolutionized the Japanese ink painting. [BDS_00001;3] |
| 4 | He was given the posthumous name “Toyo” or “Sesshu.” [BDS_00001;4] |
| 5 | Born in Bicchu Province, he moved to Suo Province after entering Shokoku-ji Temple in Kyoto. [BDS_00001;5] |
| 6 | Later he accompanied a mission to Ming Dynasty China and learned Chinese ink painting. [BDS_00001;6] |
| 7 | His works were many, including not only Chinese-style landscape paintings, but also portraits and pictures of flowers and birds. [BDS_00001;7] |
| 8 | His bold compositions and strong brush strokes constituted an extremely distinctive style. [BDS_00001;8] |
| 9 | 6 of his extant works are designated national treasures. Indeed, he is considered to be extraordinary among Japanese painters. [BDS_00001;9] |
| 10 | For this reason, there are a great many artworks that are attributed to him, such as folding screens with pictures of flowers and that birds are painted on them. [BDS_00001;10] |
| 11 | There are many works that even experts can not agree if they are really his work or not. [BDS_00001;11] |
| 12 | Representative works include: Long Landscape Scroll, Summer and Winter Landscape, View of Amanohashidate, Broken Ink Landscape, Portrait of Ekadanpi, Fall and Winter Landscape, and Folding Screen of Birds and Flowers of the 4 Seasons. [BDS_00001;12] |
| 13 | His disciples include Shugetsu, Soen, and Toshun. [BDS_00001;13] |
| 14 | The Artist's Life [BDS_00001;14] |
| 15 | He was born in Akahama, Bicchu Province (present-day Soja City, Okayama Prefecture), in 1420. [BDS_00001;15] |
| 16 | He was born to a Samurai family called ODA. [BDS_00001;16] |
| 17 | He entered nearby Hofuku-ji Temple (Soja City) while young. [BDS_00001;17] |
| 18 | He moved to Kyoto's Shokoku-ji Temple at the age of around 10, and while studying and having Zen training under Shuto SHUNRIN, learned painting from Shubun TENSHO. [BDS_00001;18] |
| 19 | In around 1454, he moved to Suo Province, and built his studio, Unkokuan (Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture), with the patronage of the feudal lord, Ouchi. [BDS_00001;19] |
| 20 | In around 1465, he acquired a calligraphy work by Bonki SOSEKI on which the characters of Sesshu were written, and requested Shinkei RYUKO to write a certificate about the origin of the name, Sesshu. [BDS_00001;20] |
| 21 | It is believed that after that, he came to be known as Sesshuu. [BDS_00001;21] |
| 22 | It is thought that until this time he was known as Touyou SESSHU, but there is not a firm source to indicate that SESSHU and Sesshu were the same person. [BDS_00001;22] |
| 23 | In 1468, he sailed to Ming Dynasty China with a mission. [BDS_00001;23] |
| 24 | He familiarized himself with authentic Chinese ink painting and studied it for about 2 years. [BDS_00001;24] |
| 25 | In the fall of 1481, he traveled to Mino Province. [BDS_00001;25] |
| 26 | There is no reliable record of the date of his death, but most put it at 1506. [BDS_00001;26] |
| 27 | Other records write that he died in 1502. [BDS_00001;27] |
| 28 | In addition to the date of his death, there are many other aspects of Sesshu's life that remain unknown. [BDS_00001;28] |
| 29 | A Rat Drawn In Tears [BDS_00001;29] |
| 30 | There is an interesting episode about Sesshu. [BDS_00001;30] |
| 31 | A young Sesshu who entered Hofuku-ji Temple only liked pictures and did not want to read sutras; so the monks of the temple tied him to a pillar in the building enshrining a Buddhist statue. [BDS_00001;31] |
| 32 | However, when the monks saw that he drew a rat with his tears that fell on the floor by using his big toe, they were impressed so they allowed him to draw pictures. [BDS_00001;32] |
| 33 | This is thought to be the most well known story about Sesshu. [BDS_00001;33] |
| 34 | The story first appeared in “Honcho Gashi” compiled by Eino KANO (published in 1693, the Edo period). [BDS_00001;34] |
| 35 | Deification [BDS_00001;35] |
| 36 | Sesshu started to be deified in the Edo period. [BDS_00001;36] |
| 37 | It is thought to be because the Kano School that ruled painting circles at the time venerated him as a master, and feudal lords wanted to have Sesshu's artwork. [BDS_00001;37] |
| 38 | It is said that this is why the number of artworks attributed to Sesshu increased. [BDS_00001;38] |
| 39 | Reflecting Sesshu's popularity, a Japanese puppet drama / Kabuki work entitled “The Gion Religious Festival” was created. The drama was first performed in January 1758. The scene of Kinkaku-ji Temple, where Sesshu's granddaughter, Yukihime, takes an active role, is famous and similar works were performed. [BDS_00001;39] |
| 40 | Today, Sesshu who gave birth to one of Japanese cultures is a leading historical figure of this country. [BDS_00001;42] |