Reisai

JAPAN; Muromachi period

Reisai was a monk and artist who was skilled in ink painting and pastel drawing. His confident brushstrokes are a defining characteristic of his works. One of his pieces has a square seal engraved with an idiom, which suggests that he could have been a disciple of Kichizan Mincho, a painter who was fond of using idioms in his seal imprints. According to Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, Reisai traveled to North Korea in 1463 and painted Avalokitesvara in a White Robe as a gift to King Sejo (reigned 1456–1468) of the Joseon dynasty. There are known to be more than 10 paintings which contain Reisai’s seal imprints. Two of his artworks, Parinirvana, kept at Daizokyoji Temple in Yamanashi, and Hanshan, kept in Daitokyu Memorial Library, have been listed as Important Cultural Properties. His other paintings include Manjusri Bodhisattva on a Lion, kept in Tokyo National Museum; Vinegar Tasters, kept at the Umezawa Kinenkan Museum in Tokyo; and two paintings of Avalokitesvara in a White Robe kept at Shokokuji Temple and Gyokusenji Temple.