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Sesshu

An artist monk of the Muromachi period who traveled to Ming China and in his career painted masterful monochrome ink paintings

Person Muromachi period Kyoto Okayama Yamaguchi Oita Painting & Calligraphy History of Japan

1420–c.1506

An artist monk of the Muromachi period (1392–1507) who was a master of monochrome ink painting (suibokuga) in medieval Japan. He was born in Bitchu Province (currently Okayama Prefecture) into, according to one theory, the Oda family. His real name was Toyo; Sesshu was his pseudonym. He entered into priesthood at a young age by going to Kyoto and studying under Zen master Shuto Shunrin of Shukoku Temple. He is believed also to have learned art during this time from the Zen monk Shubun of the same temple. From 1460 to 1466, Sesshu visited Yamaguchi, Suo Province (currently Yamaguchi Prefecture), which was Daimyo Norihiro Ouchi’s base for trade between Japan and Ming China. Under Norihiro’s patronage, he lived at Unkoku Monastery, located in this region. In 1467 Sesshu boarded a trading ship and traveled to Ming China. He learned painting from original works of prominent families in various locations, while also sketching nature scenes and genre paintings to hone his skills. Though he was unable to find any exceptional teachers while in China, it is presumed that his experiences during this visit greatly contributed to his subsequent development as a painter. After his return to Japan in 1469, Sesshu continued to create art in Oita, Bungo Province (currently Oita Prefecture), at Unkoku Monastery in Yamaguchi (which was rebuilt by Masahiro Ouchi), and also as he traveled to various places from time to time, leaving us a large number of masterpieces. In his painting style, he actively absorbed the style of the Chinese imperial academy (intai-ga) of the Song and Yuan dynasties, and in particular, he closely followed the styles of China’s Xia Gui (fl. 1195–1224), Li Tang (c. 1050–1130), Liang Kai (c. 1140–c. 1210), and the monk Muqi Fachang (1210?–1269?). He greatly influenced future schools of art, such as the Kano and Hasegawa schools. Sesshu’s numerous seminal works include Sansui chokan (Long Scroll of Landscapes; Mori Museum), Haboku sansuizu (Broken Ink [pomo] Landscape; Tokyo National Museum), Shuto sansuizu (Landscapes of Autumn and Winter; Tokyo National Museum), Shiki sansuizu (Landscape of the Four Seasons; Bridgestone Museum of Art), and Amanohashidate zu (View of Amanohashidate; Kyoto National Museum).

Related People, Things and Events

  • A painting style perfected by Sesshu in the Muromachi period (1336 –1573).

  • Trade between Japan and China under the Ming dynasty during the Muromachi period

  • Yoshimasa Ashikaga, the eighth shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate, commissioned Sesshu to create sliding door paintings (fusuma-e) to decorate his Higashiyama Villa (Ginkaku Temple), which was under construction, but was refused.

  • The eighth shogun of the Ashikaga Shogunate in the Muromachi period; constructed Ginkaku Temple and was a patron of Higashiyama Culture

  • One of the finest painters of the Azuchi-Momoyama period; founder of the Hasegawa School who established painting styles in the areas of gold and green painting on sliding doors and ink wash painting 1539-1610

  • A group of artists that has held sway over Japanese painting circles for 400 years

Books

  • 雪舟 画,写

    寛保元幎1741写。粉本ずは本来は䞋絵、䞋曞きのこずであったが、珟圚は暡本ないし手本の意ずしお䜿甚されおいる。

  • 雪舟 画,写

    巊画像の巻物を開いた状態。

  • 雪舟 画,写

    巊画像の続き。

  • 雪舟 画,写

    巊画像の続き。

  • 芳幎

    月岡芳幎筆「応挙の幜霊雪舟掻画」『芳幎略画』囜立囜䌚図曞通。「雪舟掻画」は、犅寺に入れられたが、絵ばかり描いおお経を芚えないので本堂の柱に瞛り付けられた雪舟が、自分の涙で錠の絵を描くず、たるで生きた本物の錠のようであったずいう逞話を題材ずする。

Bibliographies

Related Works

  • 李圚筆,By Li Zai (dates unknown),東京囜立博物通,Tokyo National Museum

    重芁文化財。李圚りざい、字は以政、莆田犏建省の人。氞楜宣埳幎間14031435の宮廷画家で、雪舟が入明した際に垫ずしたこずで知られおいたす。䞭倮に䞻峰をおいお倩子の埳を衚珟する本図の構図は、北宋の宮廷画家・郭煕かっきを淵源ずしたす。

  • 雪舟等楊筆,By SesshÅ« Tōyō (1420–possibly 1506),東京囜立博物通,Tokyo National Museum

    重芁文化財。この画像は䞀郚分であるが、巊図の李圚筆「山氎図」ずよく䌌た構図が甚いられおいる。

  • 䌝雪舟等楊,Attributed to Sesshu Toyo,京郜囜立博物通 Kyoto National Museum,Kyoto National Museum

    明に滞圚䞭の雪舟が、旅の途䞭で芋た江蘇省の颚景を描いたものずされる。

  • 雪舟等楊,Sesshu Toyo,京郜囜立博物通 Kyoto National Museum,Kyoto National Museum

    囜宝。画面には䜜者を明瀺するような萜欟・印章の類いはないが、雪舟筆ずみなされおいる。たた、実景ずの違いが指摘されおおり、雪舟が明で孊習した山氎画の画面構成法をもずに実景郚分を再構成したものず考えられおいる。

  • 雪舟等楊,Sesshu Toyo,京郜囜立博物通 Kyoto National Museum,Kyoto National Museum

    重芁文化財。「雪舟」の名ずずもに、 本玙の団扇圢の倖に「梁楷」の墚曞がある。梁楷は南宋の宮廷画家で、犅宗味を思わせる枋い絵を描いたこずから、雪舟が芪しみを芚えおいたのであろう。

  • 雪舟等楊筆　雪舟自序・月翁呚鏡ら六僧賛,By Sesshu Toyo (1420-1506?); inscriptions by Sesshu Toyo and six monks,東京囜立博物通,Tokyo National Museum

    囜宝。雪舟76歳のずきの䜜で、画䞊の賛に明滞圚䞭に李圚や長有声に画法を孊んだこずなどが自叙䌝颚に蚘されおいる。

  • 蔵曞印䞻雪舟,蔵曞印䞻よみせっしゅう

    囜文孊研究資料通。「雪舟印十八」の䞀぀ずされる。

Cultural Properties of Japan

Videos

Past Exhibitions

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External Links

  • 島根県益田垂に所圚。雪舟が氞眠したずいわれる雪舟廟倧喜たいき庵に隣接し、平成2幎1990に開通。雪舟ず益田の歎史を展瀺、玹介しおいたす。

  • 倧阪府倧阪垂郜島区に所圚。重芁文化財の「雪舟自画像暡本」を所蔵しおいたす。

  • 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.

  • 京郜囜立博物通HPのうち「博物通ディクショナリヌ」の「絵画のおはなし」より。

  • 小孊通が運営する日本文化の入口マガゞン「和楜web」より。雪舟の生涯ず代衚䜜を玹介しおいる。

  • 東京郜䞭倮区京橋に所圚するアヌティゟン矎術通HPより。コレクションのうちの「コレクションハむラむト」ずしお、雪舟筆「四季山氎図」の春幅・倏幅・秋幅・冬幅を画像ずずもに玹介しおいる。

  • NHK for Schoolより。

  • 岡山県総瀟垂HPのうち、総瀟垂公匏芳光WEBサむト「総瀟芳光ナビ」より。同サむトに「雪舟さんものがたり」も掲茉されおいる。

References

  1. 雪舟 [画],島尟新 著,小孊通
  2. サンプルペヌゞ「雪舟」の項
  3. 「雪舟等楊」の項
  4. 「雪舟等楊」の項
  5. 歎史孊研究䌚 ç·š,岩波曞店
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Secondary Usage

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Last updated
January 5, 2026