Poems and Paintings

One last look at text and image in a different medium.

7) For the previous question, we were looking at woodblock prints. Here, we have two paintings, both of which combine a poem with an image. In the fan painting, you have an image and a poem in Classical Japanese. In the second, you have four verses--the first is written in Classical Chinese, and the rest in Classical Japanese--thus, in this painting, you have play between two types of writing and an image. What does each convey? Which do you find more effective? Why?

This is a painting of a fan. As for the details on the fan, on the left side, there is a drawing of the full moon partly hidden behind clouds. On the right side is writing in calligraphy. There is another line of calligraphy father to the left of the moon. Some of the writing is in red.
Sakai Hōitsu
Moonlight and calligraphy
fan painting, ink on paper
8 11/16 in x 19 5/16 in (22.1 cm x 49 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund
&quot;On&nbsp;the&nbsp;right&nbsp;side&nbsp;is&nbsp;a&nbsp;drawing&nbsp;of&nbsp;a&nbsp;straw&nbsp;broom&nbsp;accompanied&nbsp;by&nbsp;a&nbsp;single&nbsp;line&nbsp;of&nbsp;verse that reads,<br />
Ippatsu ichiboku&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;One&nbsp;stroke, one&nbsp;line&nbsp;<br />
Soha&nbsp;zokujin&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sweeps&nbsp;away worldly&nbsp;dust.<br />
In&nbsp;a&nbsp;Zen&nbsp;fashion&nbsp;the&nbsp;poem&nbsp;suggests&nbsp;that&nbsp;one&nbsp;line&nbsp;of&nbsp;ink&nbsp;will clear&nbsp;away&nbsp;the&nbsp;confusion&nbsp;of&nbsp;everyday&nbsp;life. The&nbsp;sweeping action&nbsp;is&nbsp;materialized&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;sketch&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;broom.<br />
The&nbsp;next&nbsp;poem&nbsp;plays&nbsp;upon&nbsp;the&nbsp;sweeping&nbsp;action mentioned&nbsp;above,<br />
Yukuharu&nbsp;no &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Departing&nbsp;Spring&#39;s<br />
Shiripeta&nbsp;harau&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Buttocks&nbsp;are&nbsp;brushed
Yosa Buson
Broom, Poems, and Poets
album leaf mounted as hanging scroll, ink and light color on paper
6 1/2 in x 11 1/2 in (16.5 cm x 29.2 cm);3 11/16 in x 17 3/16 in x 3 3/4 in (9.4 cm x 43.7 cm x 9.5 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund

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Part of 1 Learning Collection

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Poems and Paintings
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August 24, 2020 6:18 p.m.

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