Thursday, June 10, 2010

pine trees by hasegawa tohaku

John B., a longtime friend in Kyoto, sent this card showing the famed Pine Trees screens by Hasegawa Tohaku (1539-1610). It is the 400th anniversary of Tohaku's death and a retrospective show was held at the Tokyo National Museum, then later this spring at the Kyoto National Museum. John writes that he "hadn't seen these screens for ages--it was good to renew the acquaintance." I thank him for sharing that renewal. The ink-and-brush paintings, of pine trees in the mist, are the kind that give me goosebumps. Oh yes, living in Kyoto, as I did for about seven years, was often a soap opera but it was also an invaluable education.