Hasegawa Tohaku
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese painter and founder of the Hasegawa school
of Japanese painting
during the Azuchi-Momoyama period
of Japanese history
.
The man known today as Hasegawa Tōhaku was born in 1539 in Nanao
, a town in Noto Province
(located in the vicinity of present-day Ishikawa prefecture
s) to a noted local family of cloth dyers, although evidence shows that Tōhaku's original family name was Okumura and that he was adopted into the Hasegawa family.
Tōhaku started his artistic career as a painter of Buddhist paintings in his home province of Noto
. By the age of twenty Tōhaku was a professional painter, and by his thirties, had moved to Kyoto
to study under the prestigious Kanō School
, then headed by Kanō Shōei. The Kanō School
was well known at the time for their large bold paintings that decorated the castle walls of many a wealthy warlord patron. These often ink on white paper or gold-leaf decorative wall panels served a dual purpose of reflecting light around the dim castle rooms as well as flaunting the castle owner's abundant wealth to commission such extravagant pieces. Many of Tōhaku's earlier works with the Kanō school, such as his Maple, Chishaku-in painted in 1593.
At the same time he also studied the older Sung
, Yuan
and Muromachi periods’ styles of ink painting by examining scrolls from Mu Chi and Sesshū Tōyō
, which he is believed to have gained access to in his time at the Daitoku-ji
temple in Kyoto
. After a period of time in Kyoto
, Tōhaku developed his own style of Sumie
which in many ways departed from the bold techniques indicative of the Kanō School
, and called back to the minimalism of its predecessors. The works of Sesshū Tōyō
in particular influenced Tōhaku's redirection of artistic style as Tōhaku also studied under Sesshū's successor, Toshun for some time. Tōhaku was in fact so much enamored with the techniques of Sesshū Tōyō
that he attempted to claim rights as his fifth successor, though he lost in a court battle to Unkoku Togan
. Still, the influence of Sesshū is evident in many of Tōhaku's mid to late works, such as his famous , which were declared a national treasure of Japan
are argued to be the first paintings of their scale to depict only pine trees as subject matter.
The school founded by Hasegawa Tōhaku is known today as the Hasegawa school
. This school was small, consisting mostly of Tōhaku and his sons. However small, its members conserved Tōhaku's quiet and reserved aesthetic, which many attribute to the influence of Sesshū as well as his contemporary and friend, Sen no Rikyū
. It is suspected that these simple aesthetics protest the usage of intimidation and wealth rampant in the Kanō School
.
Tōhaku's most noted contemporary was Kanō Eitoku
who often competed with Tōhaku for the patronage of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
. After Eitoku's death in 1590, Tōhaku stood alone as the greatest living master of his time. Becoming an official painter for Hideyoshi, producing some of his greatest and most elegant paintings. He and his atelier produced the wall and screen paintings in Shounji temple commissioned by Toyotomi Hideyoshi
in 1593. The paintings moved to Chishaku-in Temple, Kyoto and survived. At the age of 67, Tōhaku was summoned to Edo
and granted the priestly title of hōgen
by the Shogun
Tokugawa Ieyasu
. There he stayed for the remainder of his life.
Hasegawa school
The Hasegawa school was a school of Japanese painting founded in the 16th century by Hasegawa Tōhaku and disappearing around the beginning of the 18th century....
of Japanese painting
Japanese painting
is one of the oldest and most highly refined of the Japanese visual arts, encompassing a wide variety of genres and styles. As with the history of Japanese arts in general, the long history of Japanese painting exhibits synthesis and competition between native Japanese aesthetics and adaptation of...
during the Azuchi-Momoyama period
Azuchi-Momoyama period
The came at the end of the Warring States Period in Japan, when the political unification that preceded the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate took place. It spans the years from approximately 1573 to 1603, during which time Oda Nobunaga and his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, imposed order...
of Japanese history
History of Japan
The history of Japan encompasses the history of the islands of Japan and the Japanese people, spanning the ancient history of the region to the modern history of Japan as a nation state. Following the last ice age, around 12,000 BC, the rich ecosystem of the Japanese Archipelago fostered human...
.
The man known today as Hasegawa Tōhaku was born in 1539 in Nanao
Nanao, Ishikawa
is a city located in Ishikawa prefecture, Japan.As of March 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 58,204 and a population density of 183 persons per km². Nanao is the fifth largest city by population in Ishikawa, behind Kanazawa, Hakusan, Komatsu, and Kaga.Nanao is situated in the...
, a town in Noto Province
Noto Province
was an old province in the area that is today the northern part of Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan, including the Noto Peninsula which is surrounded by the Sea of Japan. It was sometimes called . Noto bordered on Etchū and Kaga provinces....
(located in the vicinity of present-day Ishikawa prefecture
Ishikawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is Kanazawa.- History :Ishikawa was formed from the merger of Kaga Province and the smaller Noto Province.- Geography :Ishikawa is on the Sea of Japan coast...
s) to a noted local family of cloth dyers, although evidence shows that Tōhaku's original family name was Okumura and that he was adopted into the Hasegawa family.
Noto Province
was an old province in the area that is today the northern part of Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan, including the Noto Peninsula which is surrounded by the Sea of Japan. It was sometimes called . Noto bordered on Etchū and Kaga provinces....
. By the age of twenty Tōhaku was a professional painter, and by his thirties, had moved to Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
to study under the prestigious Kanō School
Kano school
The ' is one of the most famous schools of Japanese painting. The Kanō school of painting was the dominant style of painting until the Meiji period.It was founded by Kanō Masanobu , a contemporary of Sesshū and student of Shūbun...
, then headed by Kanō Shōei. The Kanō School
Kano school
The ' is one of the most famous schools of Japanese painting. The Kanō school of painting was the dominant style of painting until the Meiji period.It was founded by Kanō Masanobu , a contemporary of Sesshū and student of Shūbun...
was well known at the time for their large bold paintings that decorated the castle walls of many a wealthy warlord patron. These often ink on white paper or gold-leaf decorative wall panels served a dual purpose of reflecting light around the dim castle rooms as well as flaunting the castle owner's abundant wealth to commission such extravagant pieces. Many of Tōhaku's earlier works with the Kanō school, such as his Maple, Chishaku-in painted in 1593.
Sung
Sung may refer to several things:*The Song Dynasty, a dynasty of Ancient China.*An alternate transliteration of the Korean family name Song.*An alternate transliteration of the Korean family name Seong.*The Korean family name Sung....
, Yuan
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
and Muromachi periods’ styles of ink painting by examining scrolls from Mu Chi and Sesshū Tōyō
Sesshu Toyo
was the most prominent Japanese master of ink and wash painting from the middle Muromachi period. He was born into the samurai Oda family , then brought up and educated to become a Rinzai Zen Buddhist priest...
, which he is believed to have gained access to in his time at the Daitoku-ji
Daitoku-ji
is a Buddhist temple, one of fourteen autonomous branches of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen. It is located in Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The "mountain name" , who is known by the title Daitō Kokushi, or "National Teacher of the Great Lamp," that he was given by Emperor Go-Daigo...
temple in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
. After a period of time in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Tōhaku developed his own style of Sumie
Sumie
Sumie is a common Japanese given name. People named Sumie include:*Sumie Baba , seiyu *Sumie Oinuma , volleyball player, Olympic medalist*Sumie Sakai , professional wrestler...
which in many ways departed from the bold techniques indicative of the Kanō School
Kano school
The ' is one of the most famous schools of Japanese painting. The Kanō school of painting was the dominant style of painting until the Meiji period.It was founded by Kanō Masanobu , a contemporary of Sesshū and student of Shūbun...
, and called back to the minimalism of its predecessors. The works of Sesshū Tōyō
Sesshu Toyo
was the most prominent Japanese master of ink and wash painting from the middle Muromachi period. He was born into the samurai Oda family , then brought up and educated to become a Rinzai Zen Buddhist priest...
in particular influenced Tōhaku's redirection of artistic style as Tōhaku also studied under Sesshū's successor, Toshun for some time. Tōhaku was in fact so much enamored with the techniques of Sesshū Tōyō
Sesshu Toyo
was the most prominent Japanese master of ink and wash painting from the middle Muromachi period. He was born into the samurai Oda family , then brought up and educated to become a Rinzai Zen Buddhist priest...
that he attempted to claim rights as his fifth successor, though he lost in a court battle to Unkoku Togan
Unkoku Togan
Unkoku Togan was a Japanese painter.He was born into a privileged family, as the second son of Hara Naoie, lord of Nokomi Castle in Hizen province....
. Still, the influence of Sesshū is evident in many of Tōhaku's mid to late works, such as his famous , which were declared a national treasure of Japan
National treasures of Japan
National Treasures are the most precious of Japan's Tangible Cultural Properties, as determined and designated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs...
are argued to be the first paintings of their scale to depict only pine trees as subject matter.
The school founded by Hasegawa Tōhaku is known today as the Hasegawa school
Hasegawa school
The Hasegawa school was a school of Japanese painting founded in the 16th century by Hasegawa Tōhaku and disappearing around the beginning of the 18th century....
. This school was small, consisting mostly of Tōhaku and his sons. However small, its members conserved Tōhaku's quiet and reserved aesthetic, which many attribute to the influence of Sesshū as well as his contemporary and friend, Sen no Rikyū
Sen no Rikyu
, is considered the historical figure with the most profound influence on chanoyu, the Japanese "Way of Tea", particularly the tradition of wabi-cha...
. It is suspected that these simple aesthetics protest the usage of intimidation and wealth rampant in the Kanō School
Kano school
The ' is one of the most famous schools of Japanese painting. The Kanō school of painting was the dominant style of painting until the Meiji period.It was founded by Kanō Masanobu , a contemporary of Sesshū and student of Shūbun...
.
Kano Eitoku
was a Japanese painter who lived during the Azuchi–Momoyama period of Japanese history and one of the most prominent patriarchs of the Kanō school of Japanese painting...
who often competed with Tōhaku for the patronage of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
. After Eitoku's death in 1590, Tōhaku stood alone as the greatest living master of his time. Becoming an official painter for Hideyoshi, producing some of his greatest and most elegant paintings. He and his atelier produced the wall and screen paintings in Shounji temple commissioned by Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
in 1593. The paintings moved to Chishaku-in Temple, Kyoto and survived. At the age of 67, Tōhaku was summoned to Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
and granted the priestly title of hōgen
Hōgen
In Japanese, Hōgen may refer to several words. Among them:* Hōgen , an era in Japan* dialect — for example: "eigo no hōgen" -See also:* Hogen - the Cornish word for pasty* Japanese dialects...
by the Shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
. There he stayed for the remainder of his life.
External links
- Hasegawa Tohaku Retrospective, Tokyo National Museum