Dragon and Mt. Fuji

This is one of the pieces painted in commemoration of the 2,600th anniversary of the founding of Japan and 50th year of Taikan’s painting career. All of the ten works of mountains take the theme of Mt. Fuji, but each one is different and skillfully painted. Mt. Fuji in this work is painted realistically through careful illustration of the snow-capped peak, and shows a strong presence through the contrasting effect of the whiteness of shell white and the black of sumi ink. Meanwhile, a dragon is dancing in the gathering dark clouds. This dragon seems to have been modeled after “Nine dragons” by Chen Rong, a Chinese painter in the Southern Song Period. “Dragon and Mt.Fuji” is an interesting mix of realism and fantasy.