Tomita Keisen (1879–1936) 
Su Dongpo 
Japan, dated 1920 
Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk 
Purchase, 2005 (13215.1)

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From Keisen’s inscription, we know that this painting depicts an episode from the life of the eminent Chinese scholar-official-artist Su Dongpo (1037–1101). Early in Su’s career he was appointed to a region that was suffering severe drought, but the drought broke while Su was there. Accordingly, thick lines of rain pour down upon rice paddies that have once again turned green, attracting three egrets on the left. Su wears high wooden shoes that keep him from the mud, and he shelters under an umbrella carried by a servant (trudging through the mud in normal shoes) whose facial expression suggests he is not enjoying the rain nearly as much as his master. 
 
Su Dongpo was a remarkable talent, recognized as one of the greatest poets, painters, and calligraphers in all of China’s long history (he was also a renowned chef, and some of his recipes still survive). He became a model for later literati artists, including Keisen, who greatly admired Su’s individualism and wry humor. By 1920 Keisen was known for his idiosyncratic loose, colorful style, which brought him success at the annual national exhibitions, but also criticism from some artists who questioned his technical skill. However, from early works such as the impressive screen West Lake also in this exhibition, we can see that Keisen was technically accomplished, and his “non-beauty” was an intentional aesthetic choice.