Hasegawa’s Rocks and Waves (Hatōzu)
The 12 inner partitions on both sides of Eikandō’s Shaka-dō Hall were once decorated with works by Hasegawa Tōhaku (1539–1610), one of the predominant artists of the Momoyama period (1568–1600). Tōhaku’s representative works are characterized by the use of ink wash (suiboku) and the strong influence of Chinese-style painting (kanga). Although Tōhaku’s early work was richly colored, over time he came to prefer the minimalism of using only diluted black ink. He is particularly admired for being able to evoke a sense of color despite using a monochromatic palette.
The delicate combination of Chinese-style brushwork with gold-leaf clouds that evoke yamato-e, or Japanese-style painting, is a hallmark of Hasegawa’s work. The “rocks and waves” (hatōzu) motif was common during the Momoyama period, and similar pieces were produced by other artists of the Hasegawa school, but this is the only such work known to have been produced by Tōhaku himself.
Though the paintings have now been transferred to hanging scrolls, they initially decorated the partitions that separated the rooms of the hall. When seated inside, at eye level to the tempestuous roiling of the water against the rocks, the movement in the painting would have provided a keen contrast to the stillness of the room.