Posted by Arnold (192.231.106.2) on March 21, 2004 at 20:08:00:
In Reply to: Re: Japanese Drawing posted by Hans Olof Johansson on March 21, 2004 at 10:26:37:
Hans Olof,
Thanks for your help in posting the image.
I thought I should add the seller's answers to several questions I had about the drawing. Since he has 30 years experience as a Tokyo dealer I took his answers seriously but with the realization that we could both be mistaken.
(1) On what grounds is the drawing attributed to Eisui? Style,handwriting,.....? Why is it an important drawing?
The drawing is definitely by a pupil of Hosoda Eishi and stylistically the most close is Eisui, Also it has to be a fairly important artist to
have a collaboration with Nampo. However the surviving body of work by Eisui, as well as most of the other students of Eishi, is very small, but
I'm almost 100% confident it is by Eisui (style is identical in my opnion).
(2) On what grounds is poem attributed to Ota Nampo?
The poem is signed Shokusanjinî which is Ota Nampos main name as a poet. The poem is autograph by Shokusanjin.
(3) Could this drawing be the design for a print rather than a painting ?
This is not a design for a print but for a small sized painting. This is the last preliminary sketch for the painting. It seems as most often the artist placed this sketch under the unmounted silk (which is transparent) and then executed the painting using the drawing as a tracing guide. The memory note is for the artist himself, a common practice. Many paintings were finalised in the mansion of the patron, while the preparatory work was done at the painters studio. Often a party was thrown, during which the painting was painted and the poem filled in by the poet.
Arnold