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Portrait of Jion Daishi (Guiji); Kamakura period (1185–1333); Japan; 14th Century

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Portrait of Jion Daishi (Guiji); Kamakura period (1185–1333); Japan; 14th Century

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The Hoss sect teachings were brought to Japan by Guiji, a Chinese Buddhist monk of the Tang era who also translated Buddhist texts. He is shown in the painting. Guiji was Xuanzang's most accomplished disciple, and this exhibition features a portrait of him. In temples, revered monks' portraits were hung, connecting followers to a tradition of rigorous thought and admirable deeds. Religious ancestry enhanced the institutions' validity. The Japanese arts were influenced by the same mentality. The sitting image used in the Jion-e memorial ceremonies at the Yakushiji shrine in Nara is the inspiration for this scroll. The ancient line style, which was adapted from Tang era norms, heightens the figure's intensity. A traditional style of religious portraiture, in which expressing character is more important than establishing a physical likeness, combines monumentality and empathy.

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“Universal Gateway” Chapter 25 of Lotus Sutra; Sugawara Mitsushige; Japan; Kamakura Period 1185-1333

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“Universal Gateway” Chapter 25 of Lotus Sutra; Sugawara Mitsushige; Japan; Kamakura Period 1185-1333

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This handscroll, one of the masterpieces in the Met’s collection of Buddhist paintings, depicts the first known painted version of the Lotus Sutra’s chapter 25, also known as the “Universal Gateway of the Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World’s Sounds.” The sutra’s text is broken up with thirty-four vibrant illustrations that highlight the compassionate deeds of the bodhisattva Kannon, also known as Avalokiteshvara in Sanskrit. This work was based on an older painted handscroll, which in turn was based on a Chinese printed book from 1208, according to the inscription. By incorporating native Yamato-e, a traditional Japanese painting style, it features especially landscapes, as the unknown artist changes the Chinese original.

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Autum Colors on the Que and Hua Mountains; Zhao Mengfu; Yuan Dynasty; China; 13th Century 1279-1368

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Autum Colors on the Que and Hua Mountains; Zhao Mengfu; Yuan Dynasty; China; 13th Century 1279-1368

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As depicted in the artwork, the mountains in the back stand out in a particularly vivid shade of blue, while the ground beneath the tree levitates with a lighter shade. The painting's background is quite open and spacious. A notable feature of the scene is this painting of two well-known mountains in Shandong, close to Jinan. The rounded peak is Qiao Mountain, and the sharp top is Huabuzhu Mountain. An area of meandering water, dotted with trees and homes across the marshes, is located between them. The roads are quite simple to reach, nothing complicated at all. These mountains, as well as the nearby village to the left, are surrounded by little trees. This location exudes a serene aura when viewed from a painter's perspective. The mountains on each side provide a sense of tranquility, and there aren't many trees to obstruct the way. But what is significant about this piece of work is that Zhao dedicates the painting to his close friend Zhou Mi, literati who refused to work for the Yuan court after returning home from Yanjing.

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Fisherman; Wu Zhen; China; 13th Century 1350

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Fisherman; Wu Zhen; China; 13th Century 1350

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Wu Zhen was a person that had a good education at a young age. Even though he had a good education, he never traveled anywhere that was far away from his hometown, except for special occasions such as going to Hangzhou. During this time he was not famous or well-known as a famous artist/painter but later he was known as one of the Four Great Masters of the Yuan. He painted both landscapes and bamboo art, and he is also known best for his painting of river scenes that have fishermen in the painting. In the painting, a sole fisherman is alone on his boat, appearing to be rowing it away or towards the shore. Behind him is a tall cliff with a hanging tree accompanied by vines all growing out of shape. It truly is a beautiful scene that has been painted and captured onto paper. The river is calm and the question lingers whether he has caught anything or not. Riffles of the water moving can be seen just beneath the cliff, showing that all is still and the area that the fisherman had brought himself to is very reeling.

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Returning Lae From a Spring Outgoing; Dai Jun, China, Ming Dynasty 1368-1644

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Returning Lae From a Spring Outgoing; Dai Jun, China, Ming Dynasty 1368-1644

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Dai Jin was a famous Chinese painter who is known for his landscape paintings and was also known as the founder of the Zhe School during the Ming Dynasty. His expressiveness is highlighted by his adventurous brushwork, creating a remarkable, lively, and varied style. Also derived from the scholarly mode of the Southern Song is the compositional formula of leaving a sizable amount of the surface blank. The distances appear in the same plane, yet the surface is flatter. One defining characteristic of paintings from the Zhe School is this focus on the surface rather than the space. Dai Jin's signature or seal is not present, but the style is his own and was most likely painted while he was in Beijing. Dai Jin's style was influenced by numerous Song and Yuan styles, although it seems to have its roots in the Southern Song court manner the most. He did not, however, have to stick to any one style because he created his method of painting. His bold yet experienced brushwork produced a range of ink effects. This is a perfect illustration of Dai Jin's style: spirited and free, yet not uncontrolled. A wall enclosing a house that is hidden from view may be seen in the lower right corner. The scene's greenery and peach blooms imply that it is springtime. It appears to be late in the day based on the darkness. A servant carrying a lantern approaches the door while a scholar knocks, illustrating the lyrical idea of a master arriving late after a spring expedition. A body of water with a path along it that local farmers use to walk home while carrying hoes is also shown. Women can be seen far away feeding the birds.

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Lofty Mount Lu; Shen Zhou; China; Ming Dynasty 1368-1644

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Lofty Mount Lu; Shen Zhou; China; Ming Dynasty 1368-1644

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Shen Zhou was a very well-known Chinese painter, and poet. He was also known as the one of the founders of the Wu school. Shen then created a lot of paintings from the later Yuan and early Ming Dynasties. In this artwork there are hemp-fiber texture strokes were used to construct the mountains and slopes, which were then colored with light ink and built up with layers of black ink. Particularly vivid and nicely executed are the mists and the mountain colors. The waves of a waterfall lighten and become calm underneath a cascade that drops hundreds of feet. This painting was painted to generate an extremely beautiful effect in honor of Chen Kuan Shen Zhou's master, who turned 70 on the day it was finished.

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A Long Tale for an Autumn Night; Fujii Tokugi; Japan; Muromachi period (1392–1573)

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A Long Tale for an Autumn Night; Fujii Tokugi; Japan; Muromachi period (1392–1573)

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In the latter half of the fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, A Long Tale for an Autumn Night gained popularity in Japan. It describes a romantic relationship between a Buddhist monk and Ichigo, a younger male acolyte. These tragic stories typically end with the monk achieving religious redemption after repenting of his preoccupation with carnal pleasures. This handscroll's initial piece was previously cut out and placed separately as a hanging scroll. With the painting drawn, the angle of the painting was rather interesting. The proportions of the people in the painting can be compared to the villages on the right. Knowing that this painting was painted in the early fifteenth century, it is to be assumed that proportions weren’t studied as much. A river can be seen splitting the painting in half, dividing the village and shoreline of the boats apart from the people to the left.

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Splashed-Ink Landscape; Bokusho Shusho; Muromachi period (1392–1573); Japan

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Splashed-Ink Landscape; Bokusho Shusho; Muromachi period (1392–1573); Japan

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This stirring artwork by Bokush is an adaptation of a well-known landscape created by the legendary artist Sessh Ty using the haboku (splashed-ink) technique. An intuitive and meditative mindset connected with Zen Buddhist spiritual practice is evoked by the method, which involves quickly applying black ink over still-wet, light washes to create a soft, diffused image without well-defined contour lines or specific features. High-ranking Rinzai Zen monk Bokush, who was also well-known in Kyoto's literary community, eventually relocated to western Honsh, where he made friends with the well-known ink painter Sessh. The condensed, mist-covered image is also reminiscent of the ink landscape paintings by Chinese artist Yujian, who was highly regarded in Japan in the thirteenth century. In this painting, there isn't anything except for the delicate art of smeared ink, which looks like mountains and a tree that resides solely in the middle.

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Birds and Flowers of the For Seasons; Kano Motonobu; Japan; 16th Century 1573-1615

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Birds and Flowers of the For Seasons; Kano Motonobu; Japan; 16th Century 1573-1615

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In this artwork, there are excellent colors, strong ink outlines, gold-leaf background, and pictorial elements. There is a sense of openness and peace in the surroundings. There isn't much to the artwork, yet it is covered widely by drawings of trees and bushes, the attention drawn to the creatures’ beauty, and the intricately detailed flowers. The colors differ and contrast from dark to light, allowing the elements to pop out of the painting. To the left, there seems to be a pond surrounded by land, clouds covering amidst the skies. The trees do not stand straight, but at an angle that reveals the shape of the craines.The painting is painted well with the perspective of viewing from an outside view. The plants that reside in the corners of the artwork are well-drawn, and colored to depict shadows and contrast.

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Interior Scene in the Yoshiwara; Hishikawa Mornobu; Japan; Edo Period 1615-1868

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Interior Scene in the Yoshiwara; Hishikawa Mornobu; Japan; Edo Period 1615-1868

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Courtesans are providing clients with music, dance, food, and drink in this uninterrupted perspective. A visitor had to go to an ageya, or house of assignation if he desired to meet with a tayu. Koshi, or low-class courtesans, may also be invited to an ageya, but tsubone and hashi, who were more common prostitutes, met their clients there. By sending a letter to the bordello where the courtesan resided, a client may request that courtesan specifically. He was expected to place orders for food, sake, and entertainment for his group while he awaited her response. A yarite (female supervisor and teacher), a kamuro (child attendant trainee), one or two attending prostitutes, and her wakaimono (male employee/errand boy) were present when the courtesan arrived. In the painting, it appears that Courtesans in the 17th century wore modest clothing and had straightforward haircuts which included one or two ribbons and/or a comb. The painting style is rather old, drawn from a perspective of an angle. It is very geometric in terms of the straightness of lines but works rather well.

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Landscapes; Shitao Zhu Ruoji; Qing Dynasty 16th Century 1644–1911

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Landscapes; Shitao Zhu Ruoji; Qing Dynasty 16th Century 1644–1911

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During the early Qing period, Shitao Zhu Ruojias was well-known as a Chinese Buddhist monk, calligrapher, and landscape painter. Shitao creates his paintings and drawings in accordance with his life experiences. We feel the artist's presence in every image as he investigates the topics of traveling and living near mountains and lakes. Two boats are depicted in the painting docked side by side on the shore. It nearly seems as though the two fishermen are conversing as they settle in their own boats. They are in front of a modest house that is perched on top of a slight cliff and is surrounded by mountainous trees and bushes. As read in the title, this is indeed a wonderfully drawn landscape.

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White Peony and Rocks; Hua Yan; China; Qing Dynasty 1752 (17th century)

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White Peony and Rocks; Hua Yan; China; Qing Dynasty 1752 (17th century)

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At the time of the "Eight Eccentrics," a group whose daringly eccentric style extended beyond painting to personal attitudes and behavior, Hua Yan lived and worked in Yangzhou, a prosperous city. Hua's bold use of color, contemporary realism in portrayal, and uninhibited exhibition of brush virtuosity made him a favorite model of late Qing and contemporary Chinese painters. Hua helped to develop the style of the early Qing artists Shitao, Zhu Da, and Yun Shouping. Hua Yan loved unconventional juxtapositions, like the one in this image, where poetic and precisely managed color tints for the delicate blossoms and leaves clash with saturated ink washes for the garden rocks.