Accession Number
1985/2.27

Title
Mountain Hut among Pines

Artist(s)
Ōhara Tonshū (Donshū)

Object Creation Date
circa 1831-1844

Medium & Support
hanging scroll, ink and color on silk

Dimensions
47 11/16 in x 19 15/16 in (121.1 cm x 50.6 cm);3 3/4 in x 29 3/4 in x 3 15/16 in (9.5 cm x 75.5 cm x 10 cm)

Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by a gift from Helmut Stern

Label copy
Ôhara Tonshû painted landscapes closely modeled on the work of the influential literati (amateur scholar-artist) painter Yosa Buson (1716–1784), though he was not a direct pupil. The similarities begin with the composition, which features a towering peak with a cottage nestled in the woods at its base, and a stream winding toward the foreground, crossed by a narrow footbridge. It is also seen in the brushwork, especially the treatment of the charming, simply drawn, solitary figure in his hut and the naturalistic foliage of the pines. What is new here, and places Tonshû’s work clearly among his peers working in the mid-nineteenth century, is the far greater complexity and density of the brushwork.
From Spring/Summer Gallery Rotation 2015
----------
Closely modelled after landscapes by Yosa Buson done in the 1770s. Not a direct pupil; one of several artists who works in Buson’s mode, despite being separated by a generation or more. Elements drawn from Buson’s mature style begin with the overall composition, with a towering peak in the background, a cottage nestled in the woods at its base, and a stream winding toward the foreground, crossed by a narrow footbridge. Details of brushwork, especially the treatment of the simply drawn, charming solitary figure in a hut and the naturalistic foliage of the pines. What is new here, and places Tonshû’s work clearly among his peers working in the mid-19th century, is the far greater complexity and density of brushwork throughout,
Maribeth Graybill, for the exhibition "Japanese Visions of China,"
9/21/02 - 1/26/03

Subject matter
Ôhara Tonshû painted landscapes closely modeled on the work of the influential literati painter Yosa Buson. The similarities begin with the composition, which features a towering peak with a cottage nestled in the woods at its base, and a stream winding toward the foreground, crossed by a narrow footbridge. It is also seen in the brushwork, especially the treatment of the charming, simply drawn, solitary figure in his hut and the naturalistic foliage of the pines.

Physical Description
Primarily black and grey ink painting. Signature stamp in the lower right side of the image. Background contains mountains and a river runs from them down to the base of the image. A small hut or structure is shown next to the cliff and some trees on the left side. A figure of a person stands near the river at the base of the image.

Primary Object Classification
Painting

Primary Object Type
hanging scroll

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Figures
Japan
Landscapes
bridges
bridges (built works)
figures in landscape
gates
hanging scrolls
house
human figures (visual works)
ink
landscapes (environments)
mountains
pines
streams
trees