Where can I see Three Poets: Mukai Kyorai, Hattori Ransetsu, and Shiba Sonome?

Three Poets: Mukai Kyorai, Hattori Ransetsu, and Shiba Sonome is held by Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Artwork

Three Poets: Mukai Kyorai, Hattori Ransetsu, and Shiba Sonome

Three Poets: Mukai Kyorai, Hattori Ransetsu, and Shiba Sonome is an unspecified painting by Yokoi Kinkoku. It dates from 1806 and is held in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1806 by the Japanese artist Yokoi Kinkoku, this hanging scroll presents a group portrait of three notable Edo‑period poets. The work is part of the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where it is displayed as an example of early nineteenth‑century Japanese painting.

Subject & Meaning

The composition features Mukai Kyorai, Hattura Ransetsu, and Shiba Sonome, each recognized for their contributions to haiku and waka poetry. By gathering the three figures together, the artist highlights their shared literary lineage and the collaborative spirit of the poetic circles to which they belonged.

Technique & Style

Executed in ink and light color on paper, the painting employs the delicate brushwork typical of the nanga (literati) tradition. Kinkoku renders the poets with restrained outlines and subtle tonal washes, allowing the viewer to focus on the dignified presence of the sitters rather than elaborate decorative details.

History & Provenance

The scroll entered the Los Angeles County Museum of Art through a mid‑twentieth‑century acquisition, though its earlier ownership remains undocumented. Its dating to the early 1800s is based on stylistic analysis and the known activity period of Yokoi Kinkoku.

Context

During the Edo period, poet‑artists often commemorated their peers in portraiture, reflecting the close ties between visual and literary arts. The three subjects were members of the haikai circles associated with Matsuo Bashō, underscoring the work’s role as both a tribute and a visual record of that cultural network.