Kawamura Manshū (1880–1942) 
Waterfall 
Japan, late 1910s 
Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper 
Gift of Terry Welch, 2021 (2021-03-045)

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Traditional East Asian paintings of waterfalls situated them within a landscape, usually including narrative elements such as a scholar or a pavilion. Manshū’s boldly modern reinvention of the subject fills the entire composition, transforming the scroll itself into a waterfall and immersing the viewer in its environment. The “boneless” brushwork, in which outlines are eschewed and the waterfall is rather constructed from layered color washes, further conveys the humidity of the scene. 
 
Manshū’s career was closely connected to the Kyoto Prefecture Painting School (known by then as the Kyoto School of Arts and Crafts). He was a top student of Yamamoto Shunkyo (see Mount Fuji from Miho no Matsubara), one of the school’s most influential professors. Manshū went on to become a professor at the school himself, rising to the level of director. Manshū was similarly successful in the annual national exhibition, both as a participant and eventually as a juror.