Art Institute of Chicago

Handwritten Letter

Soga Shōhaku 曾我蕭白

Date: c. 1754
Medium: Two hanging scrolls, ink on paper
Culture: Japan
Department: Arts of Asia
Institution: Art Institute of Chicago

Japanese painter Soga Shōhaku was and remains well-known for his artwork, but his personal life is largely mysterious. These scrolls feature the only surviving letters by the artist, and one includes his only known self-portrait. The artist is corresponding with a friend, Shinsuke Konishi (1738–1807). In the first letter, written on New Year’s Day, Shōhaku asks Shinsuke for sake and art supplies. In the second, he thanks his friend for the gift with a poem and a self-portrait. The drawing shows Shōhaku drinking sake next to a large barrel of it, topped with a plum branch for the New Year.

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Object type: AAT300033618

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Handwritten Letter

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