Artwork
瑞巖龍惺・竹香全悟・九淵龍賝・南江宗沅・ 翺之慧鳳賛 東坡笠屐図|Su Shi (Dongpo) in a Bamboo Hat and Clogs
瑞巖龍惺・竹香全悟・九淵龍賝・南江宗沅・ 翺之慧鳳賛 東坡笠屐図|Su Shi (Dongpo) in a Bamboo Hat and Clogs is an ink painting by Kyūen Ryūchin|Kōshi Ehō|Nankō Sōgen|Zuigan Ryūsei|Chikkō Zengo. It dates from 1460 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Kyūen Ryūchin’s hanging scroll, executed in ink on paper around 1460, presents a solitary figure wearing a broad bamboo hat and wooden clogs. The composition is rendered on an otherwise empty surface, emphasizing the lone wanderer’s quiet presence.
Subject & Meaning
The figure is identified as Su Shi, the renowned Song‑dynasty poet known for his love of simple, contemplative walks. By portraying him in his characteristic hat and clogs, the work evokes a moment of personal meditation and the poet’s connection to nature.
Technique & Style
The scroll employs the restrained brushwork typical of Zen ink painting, with minimal strokes that suggest the hat’s brim and the clogs’ outlines. The sparse background reinforces the meditative atmosphere, allowing the viewer’s eye to rest on the essential forms.
History & Provenance
Five Zen monks later added their signatures, each contributing a line of verse or poetry to the scroll. None claimed authorship of the original brushwork, indicating a collaborative reverence for the image rather than a competitive claim.
Context
In the mid‑15th century, Japanese Zen artists often incorporated Chinese literary figures into their works, reflecting a cultural exchange that prized both artistic skill and scholarly allusion. This piece exemplifies that synthesis, merging Chinese poetic identity with Japanese Zen aesthetics.
Artist & collection
Artist
Kyūen Ryūchin|Kōshi Ehō|Nankō Sōgen|Zuigan Ryūsei|Chikkō Zengo
Japanese, died 1498|Japanese, 1414–ca.1465|Japanese, 1378–1463|Japanese, 1384–1460|Japanese, died after 1464
