Six Immortal Poets (Translation)
六歌仙図 江戶時代 中村芳中筆 絹本著色 (Primary Title)

Nakamura Hochu 中村芳中, Japanese, died 1819 (Artist)

ca. 1810
Japanese
Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
Image: 53 3/8 × 20 1/4 in. (135.57 × 51.44 cm)
Overall: 76 7/8 × 26 1/2 in. (195.26 × 67.31 cm)
Overall (with rollers): 76 7/8 × 28 3/4 in. (195.26 × 73.03 cm)
2017.194

The legend of the Six Immortal Poets was derived from the writings of a group of renowned poets, which included noblemen, a monk, and a court lady, all active in Japan during the 9th century. Their poems, written in either a Chinese or Japanese style, were published  in the 10th century. In this painting, Nakamura Hochu renders a lively depiction of the six famed poets using spontaneous brushwork and ample ink washes, representing the Rinpa style of early 19th-century Japanese painting.

Rinpa School 琳派
Edo period (1615-1868)
芳中 Hochu
(花押 kao)
青青光琳未葉 芳中寫之 (Painted by Hochu, student of Seisei [Ogata] Korin)
Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC

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