The Most Powerful Bird Showdown in History! Itō Jakuchū, “The Rising Sun and the Phoenix” VS Soga Shōhaku, “The Eagle”
Unprecedented Technical Virtuosity from Two Geniuses
Itō Jakuchū, “The Rising Sun and the Phoenix” VS Soga Shōhaku, “The Eagle”
Like Itō Jakuchū, Soga Shōhaku was born into a merchant family in Kyoto (he was 14 years younger than Itō Jakuchū), but because his family had fallen into ruin, he became a painter in order to earn a living. At the time, there was a widespread Chinese belief in Kyoto that those who possessed an “eccentric” spirit were closer to being “saints” (as symbolised by the Toad Hermit and the Tieguai Hermit). He made a name for himself as a painter who was willing to act out the ‘strange’ and go down the wrong path.
In this sense, too, Shōhaku’s life was a contrast to Jakuchū’s, and the difference in their personalities can be symbolically illustrated by comparing the praise written on these two paintings.
Shōhaku’s painting prominently states “I am a descendant of the Ming emperor and a direct descendant of Soga Jasoku (a leading Muromachi-era painter of the Soga school)”, loudly asserting his own origins (all of which are self-serving). In contrast, Jakuchū’s painting bears the words “Flowers and birds should be painted after careful observation of the real thing, but the phoenix cannot be seen, so I used other paintings as a reference” in a reserved size. It is as if he is apologising for not being able to paint the real thing, even though it is his duty to do so.
However, even though they are so different in their behaviour, personalities, and circumstances, it is hard not to feel that they are very similar when it comes to the superb artistry that unfolds in their paintings. Did they ever meet each other on the streets of Kyoto? It’s fun to imagine.
Soga Shōhaku, “The Eagle”
A self-proclaimed follower of the Soga school, Shōhaku left many paintings of falcons, a characteristic of the Soga school. Although only three coloured falcon paintings are known to have survived, none of them are as elaborate and varied as this one.
Itō Jakuchū, “The Rising Sun and the Phoenix”
By Jakuchū at the age of 40. This is a great achievement for a painter who has just started to concentrate on his work. The detailed depiction of the feathers of the male and female phoenixes, lined up on the rocks by the waves, and their mysterious and glamorous expressions, show us Jakuchū’s ability.
