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Thirty six Poets

( left screen of a pair )

Object Type
19th Century Japanese Screen Six Panel

Artist
Hoitsu

Period
Edo (18th and 19th century)

Materials
Gold Leaf on Paper, color, Poets painted on Silk

Creation Date
ca.1810

Dimensions
108.1 cm. x 276 cm. (42 1/2 in. x 108 5/8 in.)

Commentary

Everything about these screens approach perfection; from the placement of the poets to the tarashikomi in the leaves of the vines. All of Hoitsu's skills are here: what could be called his hard, fine, precise line and the soft spontaneous techniques, his paintings of figures, and his calligraphy. As a technical tour de force, this is unsurpassed. Hoitsu was the second son of a wealthy lord, and relieved of family responsibilities, he took up art as a profession reviving Korin's Rimpa style and becoming one of the most famous artists of his time. Because of his wealth he could easily afford the highest quality utensils and pigments. This work's background is described as blue-gold; this gives it an incredible brightness and variety in the quality of gold. This screen was purchased from the Sakai family itself, and it is purported to be the last painting they kept. All the metal work on the frame contains the Sakai family crest.

36 poets with their poems painted on shikishi are affixed on each panel of each screen, which has a flowers and grasses theme on a gold background It is a most decorative screen. Each screen has the eighteen shikishi with poems (kasen-e ). Each individual kasen-e is a master work in itself. Kasen-e are usually made into an album. The style of painting of kasen-e in this screen is similar to that of Tawaraya Sotatsu and Ogata Korin. Few screens with affixed kasen-e exist, but I assume this screen is the only extant work, which has a combination of affixed kasen-e and the painted background. The Rimpa style painting and calligraphy on the shikishi are the work of Hoitsu. Hoitsu creatively and effectively arranged seasonal flowers and grasses on the background.

The decorative element is enhanced by the combination of the elegant literal tastes of the ancient Heian period with Rimpa's characteristic theme of flowers and grasses.

Signature "Hoitsu hitsu" and "Kishin" in red letters in a square seal are at the right side of the bottom on the right screen: Signature "Hoitsu kishin shoga" and "Bunsen" in red letters in a circle are at the left side of the bottom on the left screen. In view of calligraphy, the work is from the Bunka period, at the time when he was young and started developing his own Edo Rimpa tastes. (Nakamura)

	Object Type	19th Century Japanese Screen Six Panel
	Artist	Hoitsu
	Period	Edo (18th and 19th century)
	Materials	Gold Leaf on Paper, color, Poets painted on Silk
	Creation Date	ca.1810
	Dimensions	108.1 cm. x 276 cm. (42 1/2 in. x 108 5/8 in.)
Commentary Everything about these screens approach perfection; from the placement of the poets to the tarashikomi in the leaves of the vines. All of Hoitsu's skills are here: what could be called his hard, fine, precise line and the soft spontaneous techniques, his paintings of figures, and his calligraphy. As a technical tour de force, this is unsurpassed. Hoitsu was the second son of a wealthy lord, and relieved of family responsibilities, he took up art as a profession reviving Korin's Rimpa style and becoming one of the most famous artists of his time. Because of his wealth he could easily afford the highest quality utensils and pigments. This work's background is described as blue-gold; this gives it an incredible brightness and variety in the quality of gold. This screen was purchased from the Sakai family itself, and it is purported to be the last painting they kept. All the metal work on the frame contains the Sakai family crest. 36 poets with their poems painted on shikishi are affixed on each panel of each screen, which has a flowers and grasses theme on a gold background It is a most decorative screen. Each screen has the eighteen shikishi with poems (kasen-e ). Each individual kasen-e is a master work in itself. Kasen-e are usually made into an album. The style of painting of kasen-e in this screen is similar to that of Tawaraya Sotatsu and Ogata Korin. Few screens with affixed kasen-e exist, but I assume this screen is the only extant work, which has a combination of affixed kasen-e and the painted background. The Rimpa style painting and calligraphy on the shikishi are the work of Hoitsu. Hoitsu creatively and effectively arranged seasonal flowers and grasses on the background. The decorative element is enhanced by the combination of the elegant literal tastes of the ancient Heian period with Rimpa's characteristic theme of flowers and grasses. Signature "Hoitsu hitsu" and "Kishin" in red letters in a square seal are at the right side of the bottom on the right screen: Signature "Hoitsu kishin shoga" and "Bunsen" in red letters in a circle are at the left side of the bottom on the left screen. In view of calligraphy, the work is from the Bunka period, at the time when he was young and started developing his own Edo Rimpa tastes. (Nakamura)