On view
Huo Pavilion
One Hundred Old Men
Information
Asia, Japan
Yosa Buson was a painter of great distinction in the 18th century, but he was better known as one of the preeminent practitioners of the haiku poem. As a young man he traveled extensively in northeastern Japan, studying the haiku form under various poets. He settled in Kyoto in 1751 and made his living as a professional painter.
The hundred old men theme enjoyed great popularity among 18th century nanga school artists. Buson was known to have painted several versions of this theme, but this is perhaps the finest example. Wishing for a long life and respect for the elderly were notions deeply ingrained in Japanese and Chinese cultures, especially among the literati class. At the age of 60 one was thought to have lived a full life – 60 marked the completion of five full sets of the 12 year cycle – and could devote oneself to a various pastimes, such as painting and calligraphy, playing go, drinking wine or tea, or engaging in spirited conversation with others.
In this painting, done towards the end of Buson’s life, he creates a complex composition packed with elderly gentlemen, chief among them is the figure of Jurojin. The god of longevity, he is depicted with his classic tall forehead – symbolic of his longevity – seated in front of a folding screen. The thirty-nine figures surrounding and in front of him are rendered with wrinkled faces and complexly folded robes that speak to Buson’s great capabilities in the genre of figure painting. The wrinkled faces and robes are further amplified by similarly wrinkled rocks that encircle the group. Other symbols of long life depicted, apart from the rocks, are the pine tree, deer, and crane.
In Buson’s inscription on the painting he claims he was following the brush-style of Zhao Danian (Zhao Lingrang, active ca. 1070–after 1100) a member of the Song imperial family. However, Zhao was famous for his landscape paintings and it’s difficult to understand Buson’s meaning in this inscription. However, the meaning is sometimes elusive in Buson’s inscriptions that reference famous Chinese artists.
