context: painting > Zen painting

Zen painting ~1200-1600

Hotei, by Mokuan

Zen painting seems to start in the early 13th century with images of revered priests. It develops into a distinct style within Japanese painting quite quickly - perhaps this is partly because it generally came with some sort of message, mostly a san or aphorism, explicitly stated in writing on the image; a development from this was the Shigajiku in the late 14th century. Zen painting then thrived to a huge degree thanks to its landscape painting, especially by the towering figure of Sesshu. This was a period when Zen monks could be primarily professional artists, with only residual religious connections. The work was, it is always claimed, expressing the Zen mind, but given how vague that idea is, we pretty quickly find ourselves in a circle where no one says anything useful. What we actually see on the paper or silk is art of immensely skilled technique, from highly trained artists with a thorough knowledge and consciousness of at least some strands of art history, its practices and methods. This stultifies some, provides an interesting framework for others, and sometimes its something to rebel against, but there is an obvious awareness of being a professional painter in a history of painters, of fitting in in some way. This was to change...

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