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Sano River Crossing screen

	Object Type	19th Century Japanese Screen Two Panel
	Artist	Hoitsu
	Period	Edo (18th and 19th century)
	Materials	Gold Leaf and Color on Paper Screen
	Creation Date	ca. 1810
	Dimensions	150.3 cm. x 154.4 cm. (59 1/8 in. x 60 3/4 in.)

Commentary

The master is being sent off into exile, and his two faithful retainers are sorrowfully bidding him farewell. This is a well recorded legend in Japan, and here Hoitsu reproduces it with extreme simplicity - without any unnecessary scenery or brush strokes. The chill of winter and the falling snow are so delicately done, yet it still has the effect of a much more literal painting. - JDP This painting is based on a waka by a famous poet, Fujiwara Teika, from Shin kokin waka shu from the Kamakura period. Fujiwara Teika did not write this poem based on his own experience of going to Sado, but he took a famous waka from Manyõshu and rewrote it by substituting the word, rain to snow, which was a popular practice during the period. The original poem from Manyõshu was a well known poem recited among the nobles during the Heian period . It was even used in Tale of Genji. The exact location of Sado is unknown. The artist created a vast space between the sky and ground and depicted a noble man on a white horse followed by his attendants on a snowy day. His struggle with a snow storm at a deserted place where no houses or trees are in sight, is depicted rather realistically, yet with elegant Heian taste. A color contrast of black and white, accented with bright red, is effective. A placement of snow-covered rocks at the foreground corner is typical of the Rimpa school's technique. This is an excellent work using the antiquity material and creating a romantic mood with modern sensibility. A "Hoitsu" seal in red letters in a circle and "Kishin" in red letters in a square are placed at the right bottom. (Shirohata)