19th Century Japanese Paintings. Zenga Tiger and Dragon by Inoue Kanshu.

Inoue Kanshu (1807-1880)

Zenga Tiger and Dragon

19th century

Pair of framed Japanese paintings. Ink on silk.

Dimensions (each): W. 114 cm x H. 115 cm (45” x 45”)

Price: USD 17,500

Presented here are a pair of tiger and dragon (calligraphic) paintings by Inoue Kanshu, a Zen monk who held the honorary title of Hogan at Shokokuji temple in Kyoto during the early Meiji period. The paintings were originally mounted as two sides of a Japanese standing screen (tsuitate). Painted on expensive silk and on a grand scale we can only imagine that the original screen stood in an important temple.

Zen paintings or Zenga represent one of the world’s most fascinating religious and artistic traditions. Created to spread the teachings of Zen Buddhism, monk-artists rejected the rigid and serious style of traditional religious paintings, which catered to an elite audience. Instead, they favored playful, bold, and relatively simple designs that would appeal to commoners. Zenga aim to communicate the vision of Zen masters and reveal the essence of Zen Buddhism.

Often depicted winding through billowing clouds, dragons are one of the four supernatural animals in Chinese lore, associated with the male principle yang. From this Taoist association, dragon imagery was adopted by painters in the Zen tradition. Kanshu, by writing the word “dragon,” leverages the pictographic origin of the Chinese character and the gestural quality of calligraphy to suggest a dragon floating dramatically through the composition. Kanshu prioritizes not the proper rendering of the character but its ability to rise above its two-dimensional form, conveying the strength and movement of his brush.

The pale, seemingly hazy outlines and detail of the monochrome ink tiger and waterfall painting might initially appear casually brushed, but closer examination reveals Kanshu’s expert brush control. He had a real talent for painting which transcends more typically amateurish Zen artists. In this painting he exclusively uses a technique where he holds two brushes simultaneously—one with ink and the other with only water. By alternating between the brushes, he first outlines the general structure with ink, then uses the water brush to blend the still-wet ink. This process smudges the ink into tones and washes, softening it and varying the dark and light until the final shaping is achieved.

Shokokuji is the head temple of the Rinzai sect and oversees many sub-temples including the famous Kinkakuji and Ginkakuji. As well as holding a high position there, Inoue Kanshu was a teacher at the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. He remained single his whole life, devoting himself to his training and painting and calligraphy. At the time, his way of life was so unconventional that it was difficult for the general public to understand, but his style of painting, which strove to capture the essence of things, is still innovative even to this day.