Seventy-Two Peaks Under the Blue Sky with Mount Furong

From the museum

The low height of this folding screen suggests its use as a partition in a small tearoom. An inscription identifies the scene as the 72-peak Heng mountain range in Hunan, China, associated with Buddhist and Daoist traditions and celebrated in poetry. Special mention in the inscription is made of Mount Furong, one of the peaks in the range. Matsumura Goshun may have drawn inspiration from his teacher, Yosa Buson (与謝蕪村) (1716–1783), whose final work depicted the same mountain range. By painting on silver and gold foil, Matsumura Goshun created an alluring surface and deep space in this surprisingly spare vista.

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