Japanese Painting Almanac: Cherry Blossoms (2)

Hello. This is Tsubaki.
This is the second installment of the Japanese Painting Almanac on cherry blossoms. This time, I will introduce cherry blossoms as depicted in bird-and-flower paintings.

While plum blossoms have been considered a symbol of early spring, cherry blossoms have been cherished as a symbol of spring at its peak. In modern terms, this corresponds to the season from the end of March through April, which is the time for graduations and school entrance ceremonies, but in the lunar calendar, it would be from Kisaragi (the second month) to Yayoi (the third month). It can truly be said to be the flower that represents the mild, pleasant spring.

This is a hanging scroll by Sakai Hoitsu, a painter who was active in the late Edo period. It is one of a set of twelve scrolls, each depicting the seasonal features of a month from January to December, and this piece represents the month of March. The tree trunk, painted with the soft gradations characteristic of Hoitsu, and the flowers, each drawn carefully and delicately, create a calm and elegant composition.

You might find it surprising that a pheasant is depicted, but in haiku, the pheasant is a seasonal word for spring, making it a perfect pairing. As an aside, since the Ornithological Society of Japan has designated the pheasant as the national bird, cherry blossoms and pheasants represent a combination of the national flower and the national bird. Neither was officially designated by the government, and it is a coincidence, but it is an interesting alignment.

Next, this is a folding screen titled "Flowers and Birds of the Four Seasons" by Kano Motonobu. In the case of folding screens, the one on the right when placed side-by-side is called the right screen, and the one on the left is called the left screen, and together they are counted as a pair. The basic way to determine which is right or left is by the position of the signature and seal (rakkan-insho) (the signature and seal come to the outside when arranged). However, in the case of "Flowers and Birds of the Four Seasons," it is common for the seasons to unfold from spring and summer on the right screen, and autumn and winter on the left screen, so you can generally tell the left and right even without the signature.

In this work as well, a large cherry tree is depicted on the right half of the right screen, which is the standard placement. Pine and red plum trees are also depicted, but because the gold clouds occupy so much space, the foreground and background are somewhat difficult to distinguish, making them appear almost integrated. The cherry blossoms are yaezakura (double-flowered cherry blossoms) with many petals, and there are many leaves as well, with the white flowers standing out beautifully against the gold background, coloring the screen gorgeously.
Motonobu was a painter active in the late Muromachi period who fused the Kanga (Chinese-style) mode, based on ink wash painting, with the Yamato-e style, which follows the tradition of colored painting, and he was the person who determined the style of the Kano school that followed. This work has a signature stating that Motonobu painted it at the age of 74, so it is known to have been produced in the 19th year of the Tenbun era (1550). It is surprising that he painted such a work after turning 70, but the gorgeous and magnificent screen, which seems to anticipate the coming Momoyama period, is breathtaking.

The next work I would like to introduce is a sliding door painting (fusuma-e) currently owned by Chishaku-in Temple in Kyoto. Although it is generally referred to as "Cherry Blossoms," this painting was not originally at Chishaku-in. It was originally a sliding door painting for a temple called Shoun-ji, which Toyotomi Hideyoshi built for his son Tsurumatsu, who died at a young age. After the Toyotomi family was destroyed in the Siege of Osaka, Shoun-ji was abolished, and its buildings and land were given to Chishaku-in. Later, due to fires and thefts, its original appearance was lost. It is completely unknown what the original composition was or what kind of room it was installed in.

However, since it shares the same dimensions as the "Maple Trees" also preserved at Chishaku-in, it is highly likely that they were originally installed as a set. Thematically, it is a perfect pairing of spring and autumn.
Let's look at the work again. The person ordered to produce the wall paintings for Shoun-ji was Hasegawa Tohaku, one of the leading painters of the Momoyama period, but while "Maple Trees" is considered to be by Tohaku's own hand, "Cherry Blossoms" is thought to be by a different hand because the style is somewhat different. Given the more gorgeous and delicate style, the current consensus is that the painter was Tohaku's son, Kyuzo.
The cherry tree itself is not as thick as the maple, but it can still be called a giant tree. It extends its branches across the left and right, blooming with many flowers. This is also difficult to understand because gold clouds overlap in the foreground and background, but you can see a willow tree in the back, with blue leaves hanging down here and there.

If you look closely at the flowers, you can see that each petal is raised. The petals are represented by building up powder like sugar confectionery. This kind of expression is often seen in traditional Yamato-e. Kyuzo has a work called "Ohara Goko" (Tokyo National Museum), which depicts a scene from The Tale of the Heike, and it also features these rounded double-flowered cherry blossoms. It can be said that this technique shows that Kyuzo was also well-versed in Yamato-e.

Although the original plan is unknown, it is speculated that cherry blossoms and maples, spring and autumn, were paired in the Chishaku-in wall paintings. Perhaps the sliding doors depicting summer and winter were simply lost, and originally all four seasons were present, but even among the four seasons, there are actual examples where spring and autumn were specifically selected as a set. And in such cases, the combination is usually cherry blossoms and maples (autumn leaves).

Although the artist of this work is unknown, it is a pair of folding screens thought to have been painted in the Momoyama period. A large cherry tree is depicted on the right screen, and a large maple tree on the left. What is surprising is the cherry blossoms and the autumn-colored maple leaves that cover the entire screen. It is an overwhelming way of filling the space, and it can be said to be a bold screen composition that draws a line from the traditional style of bird-and-flower painting. As you can see, there are no specific motifs indicating the location, but they have been handed down with the names of the famous sites Yoshino Mountain and Tatsuta River, respectively.
It goes without saying that the focus of this work is the pairing of cherry blossoms and autumn leaves, spring and autumn. Cherry blossoms representing the scenery of spring and autumn leaves representing autumn, flowers and leaves, white and red—the expressions are contrasting in various ways.
In the first place, spring and autumn share the commonality of being comfortable seasons. Because of this, they were also seasons suitable for excursions, and people would go out for walks in the fields and mountains and hold banquets. And as the words "hanami" (flower viewing) and "momijigari" (autumn leaf viewing) suggest, cherry blossoms and maples (autumn leaves) became existence that were to be admired in their respective seasons, symbolizing spring and autumn, and were perceived as a pair. This work expresses that as straightforwardly as possible. One cannot deny the feeling that it is overdone, but it is so bold that it is refreshing.

The last work also features cherry blossoms and maples side-by-side, but by combining them with rain, it creates a calm and subdued atmosphere. This is a work by Suzuki Kiitsu, a disciple of Sakai Hoitsu, whom I mentioned at the beginning. His teacher, Hoitsu, privately admired Tawaraya Sotatsu and Ogata Korin, and created new Rinpa-style works in Edo. His stylish and witty style is called Edo Rinpa and remains highly popular today.
Kiitsu was the most prominent among Hoitsu's disciples, and his skills were excellent, as he often worked on substitute pieces for his busy teacher. He inherited the stylish style that Hoitsu cultivated in Edo and left behind many elegant works.
This work changes the tone from the sliding door paintings and folding screens we have seen so far, and while suppressing the gorgeousness, it has become a work full of emotion. The appearance of flowers and leaves blurred by the rain is expressed with subtle gradations, and it can be said to be a fine piece that shows a truly Edo Rinpa style.

I have looked at cherry blossoms as depicted in bird-and-flower paintings. Even though we call them bird-and-flower paintings, we can see that there are various types and methods of expression. However, since bird-and-flower painting focuses on depicting the flowering trees themselves, it can be said that there are many works that try to honestly express the characteristics and beauty of cherry blossoms as flowers.
From the next installment onwards, I would like to look at how cherry blossoms are depicted in paintings that do not necessarily have flowering trees as their subject, such as religious paintings and genre paintings.