Lotus, Kanō Tan'yū

Exhibition Label: Asian Gallery, Spring 2003, Youmi Efurd Kanō Tan’yū a grandson of Eitoku (1543-90), was the foremost artist of his day. Tan’yū was versatile in painting a wide range of subject matter in a variety of styles. The subject matter and style of this triptych are closely related to Japanese Zen painting. Here Hotei (Chinese: Budai), representing the freedom and joy of Zen attainment, is flanked by lotus and geese. He is characterized by his protruding belly and by the sack in which he carries all his belongings. With the sack over his shoulder, he is said to have wandered the land barefoot and carefree, preaching as he went. As a typical example of the wandering wise man, he is depicted as unconventional in manner and eccentric in his personal appearance, which makes him an ideal subject for Zen painting. Tan’yū’s mastery can be seen in the combination of subtle changes of ink tonality combined with bold yet economically applied brushstrokes. He succeeds in maintaining a balance between delicate and spontaneous brushwork. Archive Label date unknown: From the fifteenth century on, the Kanō family of painters enjoyed the patronage of the most powerful military rulers of Japan. Kanō Tan'yū, like his grandfather Eitoku (1543-1590), was the foremost artist of his day. His painting skills won him great favor among the Tokugawa shoguns, and his extensive knowledge of Japanese and Chinese painting also established him as a renowned connoisseur. Tan'yū was versatile in painting a wide range of subject matter in a variety of styles. The subject matter and style of this triptych are closely associated with Japanese Zen painting. The centerpiece of the triptych depicts Hotei (Chinese: Budai), popular as the diety of merchants and children. It is said that his bag was full of goods and he preferred the company of children to adults. Tan'yū's mastery can be seen in the combination of subtle changes of ink tonality combined with bold yet economically applied brushstrokes. He succeeds in maintaining a balance between delicate and spontaneous brushwork.