| 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 ( 拙宗 ) . ” [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 <sol> 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] |