Golden Lion

A lion with its body vigorously emerging from the shade of a rock is depicted. It is the moment when, determined not to miss its chance, the lion is about to capture its prey with a roar. This painting captures the brave king of beasts deftly, such as in sharp claws of the right paw and bulging muscles of the left paw. Traditionally, Japanese artists had painted lions in a style inherited from China, depicting them as karajishi. After returning from Europe, in 1901 Seihō caused a sensation in the art world by portraying a lion realistically in a work entitled Golden Lion. Created with the same conception as that popular painting, the work exhibited here was commissioned.