Artwork
Four Elders of Mt. Shang
Four Elders of Mt. Shang is an unspecified painting by the Baroque artist Kano Tan'yū. It dates from 1604 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Four Elders of Mt.
- Accession no.
- 1979.78.2
- Credit line
- Gift of Osborne and Gratia Hauge and Victor and Takako Hauge
About this work
Overview
Four Elders of Mt. Shang is a painting by Kano Tanyu, a prominent artist of the Edo Kano school. It is paired with another work, Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, to evoke an earlier painting attributed to Kano Motonobu.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts four elderly scholars in a natural setting, dressed in traditional Japanese attire. They represent historical figures who retreated to Mt. Shang in Shanxi province to pursue their scholarly interests during the late Qin dynasty's turmoil.
Technique & Style
The work exemplifies the Kano school's style, characterized by themes of reclusiveness that conveyed loyalty to the shogunate. The artist's use of traditional Japanese clothing and a natural setting reflects the school's distinctive approach.
Context
The Kano school was patronized by the shogun from the late Muromachi to the Edo period. The theme of reclusiveness was used to promote loyalty to the shogunate, drawing on Chinese historical references such as the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove and the Four Elders of Mt. Shang.
Artist & collection
