Portrait of Basho
1704
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1704
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Portrait of Basho is a 1704 unspecified by Ichijun, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This painting shows a portrait of Basho, a famous Japanese poet. He's dressed simply, which fits his lifestyle. Basho lived a simple life, choosing poverty and solitude over fame and wealth, which is interesting because he was celebrated in his time. His poetry is still loved today, and it often relates nature to human feelings. Basho wrote about the fleeting nature of life in his haikus, which is reflected in this portrait. You can learn more about this style by looking into the work of artist Ichijun.
The 15th-century poet Matsuo Basho is still considered Japan’s greatest master of the haiku poem, a short, 17-syllable verse form that relates some aspect of nature to the human experience. Although he was one of the most celebrated men of his day, he pursued a simple life of self-imposed poverty and solitude. In this portrait, Ichijun alluded to Matsuo’s haiku about the transient life: warau beshi naku beshi, waga asagao no, shibomu toki (to smile or to cry when my face in the morning [glory] is wilted).
Read the full account in the museum source.
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