The Kyoto National Museum has put of a major retrospective of the work of Hasegawa Tohaku (1539-1610), the preeminent painter of the Momoyama period to commemorate his 400th memorial.
Tohaku started his career painting primarily Buddhist works but in his thirties, he moved to Kyoto and expanded his oeuvre to include portraits, ink painting, and colorful works on gold backgrounds, which brought him many patrons, including the hegemon (or warlord who rule Japan) Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598), who commissioned him the colorful screen paintings on gold ground Maple, which is considered a National Treasure. The vivid hues of many of his ink paintings against gold-foil backgrounds exemplify the efflorescence of the Momoyama period.
The exhibition presents a wide range of works from the beginning of Tohaku's career until his death at age seventy-two. Some of the highlights include Pine Trees, Maple, and Monkeys in Withered Tree. The show runs until May 9.
