National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

The artist Sesson (1504?–?) hailed from the province of Hitachi (present-day Ibaraki prefecture). He became a monk while still young and spent much of his life traveling, particularly in Aizu (present-day western Fukushima prefecture), Kamakura, and Odawara. Towards the end of his life, he retired to the town of Miharu in northern Japan. An admirer of Sesshū, Sesson studied a wide range of painting modes, including Chinese painting; however, his painting style is thought to be among the most distinctive and individualistic of his day. This pair of landscape scrolls is considered to be one of his earlier works. The rendition of the rocks and buildings shows the influence of Sesshū, but Sesson's unique approach, characterized by distorted imagery, is already apparent. He wrote in his book, "Fundamental Advice for Students," “It is true that I have studied the style of Sesshū for many years, but what you should notice is how my style differs from his.” This work substantiates the pride evinced by these words.