Landscape with Gentle Peaks

From the museum

A figure sits in a retreat tucked into the mountains near a waterfall. Kan Tenju was best known as a calligrapher and seal carver. Of Korean heritage, he was a patron of artist Ike Taiga (池大雅) (1723–1776), and a cousin of Taiga’s student Aoki Shukuya (青木 夙夜) (died 1802). The Chinese-style poem reads as follows: Smoky mist in the mountain reflects light after the rain, Sunlight passes through the clouds to cast shadows of the trees, Alone in the sunset, I read a well-worn book. While the styles of the calligraphy and painting in this work do not align with those in pieces by Kan Tenju, its creation was likely precipitated by the strong interest in the artist during the 19th century.

The museum’s own description, in English. Licence: CC0