| architecture |
| calligraphy |
| ceramics |
| clothing |
| comics |
| gardens |
| lacquerwork |
| literature |
| movies |
| music |
| painting |
| poetry |
| sculpture |
| tea ceremony |
| television |
| theatre |
| weaponry |
| thematic routes |
| timeline |
| the site |
context: painting > Zen painting > Subjects
|
Zen master Ikkyu Sojun by Bokusai |
Chinzo
This was the earliest point at which we can see Zen art at all start to diverge from what else was happening in Japan at the time. Chinzo are portraits of Zen masters, in styles mostly imported from the Chinese Song dynasty. Most seem to have been either a student's current master, or someone who died only recently. It seemed to reach a surprisingly high level of psychological realism, as shown in the image on this page from the 14th Century.