![Egrets in Plum [right of the pair Egrets in Plum and Willow] by Sesson Shūkei 雪村周継](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fd2w8kbdekdi1gv.cloudfront.net%2FeyJidWNrZXQiOiAiYXJ0ZXJhLWltYWdlcy1idWNrZXQiLCAia2V5IjogImFydHdvcmtzLzlmMjRiMDk4LTEwYmItNGY1Mi05MTJhLTBlYzVmYWZlZmZmNi85ZjI0YjA5OC0xMGJiLTRmNTItOTEyYS0wZWM1ZmFmZWZmZjZfZnVsbC5qcGciLCAiZWRpdHMiOiB7InJlc2l6ZSI6IHsid2lkdGgiOiAxOTIwLCAiaGVpZ2h0IjogMTkyMCwgImZpdCI6ICJpbnNpZGUifX19&w=3840&q=75)
Egrets in Plum [right of the pair Egrets in Plum and Willow] c. 16th century
Dimensions: 69 1/4 x 24 in. (175.9 x 60.96 cm) (each fold)
Copyright: Public Domain
Sesson Shūkei painted this image of Egrets in Plum with ink on paper during the Muromachi period. The composition features egrets, plum blossoms, and fish – symbols deeply rooted in East Asian art and culture. The egret, with its pure white plumage, often symbolizes purity, wisdom, and longevity, while plum blossoms, braving the cold of late winter to bloom, represent resilience, renewal, and the transient nature of life. The carp, powerful swimming fish, signify perseverance and prosperity. The egret motif echoes across time and space, seen in ancient Egyptian art, where birds often symbolized the soul’s journey. Like Renaissance art, the psychological power of the image lies in the deep connection to the cyclical patterns of nature, engaging viewers on a profound, subconscious level. Here, Shūkei masterfully captures the ever-changing flow of nature, a cycle of constant rebirth.
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Born in remote eastern Japan, far from the cultural center of Kyoto, Sesson Shūkei taught himself to paint by studying the brush styles of earlier Chinese and Japanese masters, whose works were held in many old collections in the region. These screens reveal his keen interest in the Chinese Zen painter-monk Muqi (c. 1210–after 1269). Of the dozens of extant paintings by Sesson, a Zen priest himself, none so clearly attests to his admiration for Muqi as this misty, moonlit scene of herons cavorting around a gnarled old plum tree and willow. Using the so-called “boneless” technique for which Muqi was famous, Sesson avoided contour lines, relying instead on soft washes of ink. He also borrowed several motifs directly from paintings by Muqi. Indeed, this pair of screens is as much a visual eulogy to the Chinese master as they are an evocative picture of auspicious bird and trees.
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