Although visually united by an ink landscape of rugged mountains and islands among vast waters and mists rendered in gold wash, this pair of screens depicts two completely separate scenic locations in eastern China. On the right is Jinshan, an island located in the middle of the Yangzi River near the city of Zhenjiang in the southern province of Jiangsu. The island's many bridges, walkways and paths are traversed by people from all walks of life - including scholars, fishermen and servants - perhaps on their way to one of the temple halls scattered across the rugged terrain. The left screen, meanwhile, is a depiction of West Lake, a legendary spot 240 kilometers to the south in the city of Hangzhou, whose city walls and gate can be seen in the lower left foreground. Sanraku also incorporates some of the Ten Views of West Lake into the landscape,
A student and adopted son of the Momoyama-period master Kano Eitoku (1543-1590), Sanraku produced paintings for interiors of castles and temples, including other works featuring West Lake. Here, rock formations exhibit the crystalline, geometric quality found in much of his late work.
Discover more Old Masters in the following collections: