50 x 19-5/16 in. (image) 80 x 27 x 1 in. (as installed)
Signed: Tenryu Dojin hachijusan sai Square intaglio seal: [Tenryu Dojin] Square intaglio seal: [Koheichin toshogun byoei]
Gift of Mr. Keith Uhl Clary
Asian Art (Japanese and Korean)
Keith Uhl Clary; given to the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 1979
葡萄図
Using ink tones ranging from rich, dark black to an almost transparent gray, the artist produced a striking drama: a grapevine blowing in the wind. The painter displayed his versatility with brush and ink through the variety of brushwork techniques that were required to depict the woody branch, velvety leaves, twisting, curling tendrils, and juicy grapes. Tenryū Dōjin was a Zen monk, statesman, philosopher, poet, and painter as well as a seal-carver. He was born in Hizen Kashima (in modern day Saga Prefecture), and spent the latter half of his life in Shinshū (Nagano Prefecture), living near Lake Suwa, the headwaters of the Tenryū River (from which he took his gō, or artist name). In his thirties and forties he actively advocated the restoration of authority to the imperial throne. This understandably put him at odds with the Tokugawa shogunate. Overall, biographical information about him is scarce, possibly because as a political refugee he was reluctant to reveal much of his background. He published a treatise on how to paint grapes when he was 89. The signature on this painting states his age as 83.
Metadata about the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection comes from Newfields’ records and research. In some cases, information may be incomplete and research is ongoing. Newfields’ goal is to have as up-to-date metadata as possible, therefore, this information is subject to change. Newfields collections’ metadata is available under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) waiver, which allows for re-use without legal restrictions.
Artworks that appear in the image file(s) above may be in copyright or have other legal and/or cultural restrictions to their use. For clarity, Newfields does not claim copyright to the image files created by Newfields of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Newfields makes every effort to ascertain the copyright status of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Please refer to the RightsStatements.org statement above for information about the current copyright status of the artwork. Additionally, some artworks may include Local Context’s Notices or Labels that attribute cultural authority of the artwork’s heritage and data.
Additional information about Newfields’ reproduction guidelines can be found in the Licensing Resources.
4000 Michigan Road, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA 46208-3326 | 317-923-1331
Copyright © 2024 Newfields. All rights reserved.
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [MA-251861-OMS-22].