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【重要文化財】本阿弥光悦筆・俵屋宗達画 「鶴図下絵和歌巻」(京都国立博物館蔵) / ColBase

Sotatsu Tawaraya

The forerunner of the “Rinpa” trend in Japanese art, which is characterized by refined composition and highly decorative qualities

 Dates of birth and death unknown. A painter active in Kyoto in the early Edo period (around 1603–1700). While his origins and biographical details remain unclear, he is believed to have supervised an eya (studio producing industrial craft paintings, such as ogi-e folding fan paintings and shita-e design sketches for dyed and woven textiles) called Tawaraya and to have had a deep level of interaction with cultural figures such as Mitsuhiro Karasumaru (1579–1638) and Koetsu Honami.

From around 1596 to 1624, Sotatsu produced many works with his underpaintings in kingin-dei gold and silver painting techniques on shikishi poem cards and waka-kan poem scrolls featuring calligraphy by Koetsu. An example of a work for which the date of production is clear is a reproduction Sotatsu made of the Saigyo Monogatari Emaki (“Illustrated Scrolls of the Tales of Saigyō”; Idemitsu Museum of Arts collection) in 1630. At this time, he had attained the rank of hokkyo (literally “dharma bridge,” a title conferred to physicians, artists, and literary figures as it would be to Buddhist monks).

Even while drawing on traditions of classical Japanese yamato-e painting, many of his works are characterized by highly decorative qualities, with their use of gold and silver, for example, and innovative composition. Representative works of his include Fujin Raijin-zu Byobu (“Wind God and Thunder God Folding Screen,” a National Treasure in the Kennin-ji Temple collection) and Tsuru-zu Shita-e Waka-kan (“Scroll Even while drawing on traditions of classical Japanese yamato-e painting, many of his works are characterized by highly decorative qualities, with their use of gold and silver, for example, and innovative composition. Representative works of his include Fujin Raijin-zu Byobu (“Wind God and Thunder God Folding Screen,” a National Treasure in the Kennin-ji Temple collection) and Tsuru-zu Shita-e Waka-kan (“Scroll with Waka and Underpainting of Cranes”). Also, the tarashikomi technique of dripping second layers of paint onto still-wet first layers is thought to have been an original innovation of his. He used the technique to produce many of his outstanding suibokuga (monochrome ink paintings), such as Renchi Suikin-zu (“Lotus Pond with Waterfowl,” a National Treasure).

In the mid-Edo period (1700–1750), Korin Ogata, who was a sincere admirer of Sotatsu, would follow his artistic style and develop it further. Today the gorgeous and decorative trend in Japanese painting created by Sotatsu and Korin is known as the Rinpa School.

Related People, Things and Events

Books

Related Works

Works by Sotatsu Tawaraya (including attributed works)

Studio of Sotatsu Tawaraya and Rinpa works

Past Exhibitions

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Institutions Holding Related Materials

  • As Japan’s representative museum, Tokyo National Museum collects, preserves, displays, and researches the cultural properties of Asia with a focus on Japan, and also provides educational programs.

  • Kyoto National Museum collects, preserves, displays, researches and provides educational programs focusing on cultural properties from Heian- through to Edo- period Japan, when the capital was located there.

  • 浅井長政の菩提を弔うため、長政の長女・淀殿 (茶々)の願いにより、豊臣秀吉が建立した寺院。重要文化財の杉戸絵「白象図杉戸」「唐獅子図杉戸」、襖絵「松図襖」を所蔵。杉戸絵は常時公開しており、襖絵は特別公開時に鑑賞可能。

  • 京都市東山区にある臨済宗建仁寺派の大本山の寺院。国宝「風神雷神図屏風」を所蔵し、特別展などで公開。建仁寺大書院では、本図の高精細複製作品を展示している。

  • 出光興産の創業者・出光佐三が蒐集した美術品を所蔵・展示する美術館。日本の書画、中国・日本の陶磁器など東洋古美術品を中心とした所蔵品を年6回の展覧会で公開。俵屋宗達の重要文化財「西行物語絵巻」をはじめとする宗達作品を所蔵する。

  • 山種証券創業者・山崎種二が蒐集したコレクションをもとに、日本初の日本画専門美術館として開館。「鹿下絵新古今集和歌巻断簡」「四季草花下絵和歌短冊帖」などの宗達作品を所蔵する。

  • 実業家・細見古香庵に始まる細見家三代の蒐集品を基礎とした美術館。約1,000点に及ぶ日本美術コレクションを所蔵し、多彩な企画展を展開する。俵屋宗達、尾形光琳、酒井抱一、鈴木其一など琳派の作品が充実しており、度々琳派展を開催。

  • 文化庁が運営する日本の文化遺産についてのポータルサイト。 東京国立博物館、山種美術館、東京芸術大学大学美術館などに所蔵されている俵屋宗達の作品情報を閲覧可能。

  • 国立国会図書館に収蔵されている資料を紐解きながら、琳派の流れの周辺を紹介。

References

  1. 日立デジタル平凡社,平凡社
  2. 辻惟雄, 泉武夫, 山下裕二, 板倉聖哲 編集委員,小学館
  3. 村重寧 著,東京美術
  4. 古田亮 著,平凡社近代日本美術研究の立場から,宗達芸術のエッセンス,琳派画家との相違,海外の画家との類似について鋭く指摘。図版多数掲載。(日本児童図書出版協会)