Yamaguchi Hachikushi (1890–1933)
Spring Rain
Japan, c. 1925–1933
Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
Gift of Terry Welch, 2021 (2021-03-083)
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A firewood gatherer carrying two large bundles, dressed in a traditional grass raincoat, traverses a path through a bamboo grove in the mountains. The spring season is indicated by the blossoming cherry tree on the side of the path. Hachikushi’s bold arrangement dedicates three–quarters of the composition to the midground bamboo, compressing the foreground scene and the distant background hill to the lower and upper edges. His use of “boneless” saturated washes for the background hill, midground bamboo and foreground path effectively conveys a rainy atmosphere, while the outlines of the figure and the tree focus them as narrative anchors.
Hachikushi studied at the Kyoto School of Arts and Crafts and went on to enjoy success in the annual national exhibition. He was also active in literati circles in Kyoto and became known for his poetry, his woodblock prints, and his modernized literati paintings.
Further listening
A firewood gatherer dressed in a traditional grass raincoat and carrying two large bundles exits a bamboo grove in the mountains and descends a path toward viewer. A blossoming cherry tree on the left side of the path indicates spring’s arrival. Hachikushi’s bold arrangement dedicates three-quarters of the composition to the midground bamboo, compressing the foreground scene and the distant background hill to the lower and upper edges respectively. His use of un-outlined “boneless” saturated washes to describe the background hill, midground bamboo, and foreground path conveys a rainy atmosphere, while the outlines of the figure and the cherry tree focus them as narrative anchors.