Screen Depicting Landscape, People, Flowers and Birds – (Unkoku Togan) ◄ Previous Next ►

Artist: Unkoku Togan

Size: 53 x 121 cm

Museum: Iwami Art Museum (Masuda, Japan)

Technique: Panel

These screens have twelve ink paintings pasted on them depicting landscapes, people or flowers and birds created in both formal and cursive styles. The composition of each picture leaves large areas of blank space with the main subjects dominating; the Chinese sages are depicted as having square shoulders and a slight stoop, which is typical of Togan’s style, as is the accentuated contrast in the tone of the ink depicting the trees. The motifs of plum tree and fish are rare subjects for the artist. UNKOKU Togan (1547 - 1618) was the second son of HARA Naoie, the lord of Nogomi castle in Hizen Province (present-day Saga Pref.). His name was Naoharu and he studied painting under KANO Shoei or Eitoku. He gave up his samurai status to become a painter, serving MORI Terumoto (1595-1651), Daimyo of Nagato domain, in this capacity. Terumoto presented him with Sesshu’s ‘Sansui Chokan’ picture scroll and made him Abbot of Unkoku-an Temple where the Buddhist priest-artist, Sesshu had once lived. Togan declared himself to be Sesshu’s successor and devoted himself to passing on Sesshu’s style of painting to later generations. He formalized Sesshu’s style of landscapes, depicting people in the Ryokai-style and creating a characteristic style of his own which, while appearing conservative, allowed him to establish himself as Sesshu’s legitimate heir during the Momoyama period when the Kano school, HASEGAWA Tohaku, KAIHO Yusho, SOGA Chokuan and other artists who practiced the Chinese style of painting were active.