Mountain Village, Yokoi Kinkoku

Archive Label date unknown:
Kinkoku was a devout practioner of the Japanese mountain religion called Shugendō, which combined traditional Buddhist practices with arduous journeys into mountainous regions. His experiences in nature stimulated his development as a painter, inspiring him to concentrate on landscape. Rather than capture empirical reality, he was interested in giving form to the vitality he perceived in nature through the spirited application of brushstrokes. The scholar and servant shown walking quietly along the path are universalized types, used as formal devices to contribute some sense of scale and habitation to the scene.