The Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup
1704
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1704
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
The Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup is a 1704 unspecified by Soga Shōhaku, a Nihonga work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see eight tipsy scholars in long robes, swaying under a gnarled pine tree, wine cups in hand. These men are actually Chinese poets from an old poem, but Shōhaku painted them as a joke. The Edo middle class loved lighthearted scenes, so he turned a serious theme about escaping government work into a party. The tree looks like it’s laughing too—its branches twist into faces. If you like this playful style, look up Edo period (1615–1868) for more art made for everyday people.
Responding to the desires of the middle class ( chonin ), some late Edo period Japanese painters moved away from the seriousness associated with the Chinese theme of reclusion, focusing instead on the motif’s humorous aspects. The theme Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup is based on a poem by the renowned 8th-century Chinese poet Du Fu about his eight colleagues. These scholars eagerly sought release from their official governmental duties and then supposedly fled the capital for the countryside. There, they engaged in wildly eccentric behavior and adventurous creative work, all fueled by…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Shōhaku spent his life in Kyoto, the creative heart of Japan, where he painted scrolls and screens that looked nothing like the soft landscapes of his day.
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