Artist:Kamisaka Sekka
Medium: Hanging scroll, Color on silk
Geograhical Locations:
Dates:early 20th century
Dimensions: Image: 44 1/2 x 7 1/4 in. (113 x 18.4 cm) Overall: 74 1/4 x 12 13/16 in. (188.6 x 32.5 cm)
Collections:
Accession Number: 1997.106
Image: 1997.106_IMLS_SL2.jpg,
Catalogue Description: The Japanese Rimpa tradition, exemplified in the exquisite works of the most recent adherent to the style, Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942), include a reiteration of classical subjects, like this image of the ubiquitous "Mount Fuji above Clouds." Sekka may be most well known for his luxuriant woodblock printed books (ehon). He was not only a prolific artist of paintings and screens, but also a designer of lacquerware, textiles and ceramics. The Rimpa school was centered in Kyoto, where Korin founded an atelier which catered to the tastes and commissions of the aristocracy, beginning with Koetsu and Sotatsu in the 17th century. Even after the Meiji restoration in 1868, the Rimpa tradition remained active. The end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century saw two artistic traditions of painting growing side and side, the Nihonga (Japanese style tradition) and Yoga (western influenced paintings), and this work demonstrates a mingling of the two approaches in a work of the pre-war era. The painting is executed in the tarashi-komi technique, the "puddling of ink" invention which is associated with Rimpa artists. Its diminutive format is intended for placement in a tea ceremony alcove.