Minneapolis Institute of Art

Landscape [right of a triptych of White-Robed Kannon with Landscapes]

attributed to Kenkō Shōkei

Date

late 15th century

Medium

Hanging scroll, right of a triptych, ink and color on paper

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Buddhist monks, particularly those of the Zen school, were devoted landscape painters. Like calligraphy, painting was considered part of the spiritual training necessary for enlightenment. Zen monks favored monochrome ink painting due to its simplicity and straightforwardness. The priest Kenkō Shōkei, who served as secretary at Kenchōji Temple in Kamakura, studied Chinese paintings from the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1279-1368) dynasties and became a key figure in the ink-painting circles of Japan Asia

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