Meditating Daruma

Enji employs bold, expressive brushstrokes typical of Edo‑period ink painting, allowing the ink to vary from deep black to soft gray. The background is rendered in a light, almost washed-out beige, creating a subtle contrast that emphasizes the immediacy of the strokes while maintaining an overall sense of restraint and balance.

The work entered the Los Angeles County Museum of Art as part of its Asian art acquisitions in the late twentieth century. Its attribution to Tōrei Enji is based on stylistic analysis and comparative study with other mid‑eighteenth‑century Japanese paintings, confirming its place within the artist’s modest but respected oeuvre.