Miraculous Appearance in Kyoto Arashiyama!
The extremely rare scroll by Itō Jakuchū on public display for the first time! (Museum's 5th Anniversary Exhibition)
Exhibition flyer of The Extremely Rare Scroll by Itō Jakuchū on Public Display for the First Time!Original Source: Fukuda Art Museum, Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan
The Fukuda Museum of Art will celebrate its 5th anniversary
This exhibition brings together outstanding works from Jakuchu's early years to later years. We hope that this exhibition will be an opportunity for you to gain a deeper understanding of his artistic world and fully experience its charm. (Term: Oct. 12 2024 - Jan. 19, 2025)
Lu Dongbin by Itō Jakuchū and Imei Shūkei
Lu Dongbin was one of the Eight Immortals of China. Imei Shūkei, the priest of Shōkoku-ji wrote the calligraphy that says "Imei verifies that this painting was done by now-departed Jakuchū." Indeed, you can see signature features of the artist in the powerful, majestic lines.
Dragon and Clouds by Itō Jakuchū
A dragon’s head is visible just above the pitch black cloud. Right side of the dragon’s head part, no ink has been applied, leaving the color of the paper untouched. Blurring and subtle changes in ink tone at the outline of the clouds create a sense of depth and movement.
Phoenix by Itō Jakuchū
This painting depicts Chinese phoenix. The bird’s head extends upward, in a humorously ceremonial pose, and was drawn using a streaking technique to create overlap. This painting is a reference to a painting done by Lin Liang, who lived during the middle of the Ming Dynasty.
Carp by Itō Jakuchū The right side shows a carp swimming , while left side is a jumping carp that creates a splash of water. The depiction of long whiskers is characteristic of the Nagasakiha, a group of painters active in Nagasaki, so we can understand that Jakuchu took inspiration from them. However, the heads of the fish are done in dark ink, and the scales behind the gills are painted with the sujime-gaki technique in a way that only Jakuchu could have achieved.
Linggui (Spirit Turtle) by Itō Jakuchū
Neck stretched upward and head bent forward, this turtle is stomping firmly. Jakuchu has put large ears on a turtle, which are normally earless. He was probably mainly interested in practicing the sujimegaki technique to render the lined patterns of the plates in the carapace.
Mallet of Luck and Precious Orb by Itō Jakuchū
This is an auspicious painting of a precious orb on top of a small mallet. The light shining from the orb was drawn in one large brush stroke, while the surface of the orb was printed with thin ink, and the surrounding streaked lines done in dark ink to represent the round shape.
Bodhidharma Crossing the Yangtze River on a Reed by Jakuchū
Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, traveled from India to China, and crossed the Yangtze river on a single reed. His wearing are painted by ink strokes very close without merging, leaving a space between them. The technique is known as sujime-gaki.
Alms Round by Itō Jakuchū
Still today, some Buddhist monks rely on alms given by parishioners and benefactors. Through the donating food, the giver accrues merit. Far from solemn, some monks are chatting and laughing. We want you to pay attention to the different facial expressions of each person.
Rooster and Hen with Turnips by Itō Jakuchū
This is a painting of a pair of chickens in a turnip field. The rooster cranes its neck downward. Traces of bug holes and color-altering are visible on the leaves. It is thought that this painting was created by Jakuchu in his early 30s, making this his earliest known work.
Roosters and Hens Pasted on Folding Screens － RIghtOriginal Source: Fukuda Art Museum, Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan
Folding Screens with Roosters and Hens by Itō Jakuchū
The pair of screens is decorated with 12 paintings of chickens. The first two images depict roosters proudly, rest of it depict couples. For the feathers of the roosters, ink is applied using blurring and thinning to give a multi-colored effect but the hens are rendered modestly.
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.