Sesshu Toyo: on the way to creation of "the new Japanese style of the ink painting"

Sesshu Toyo (1420-1506) is indisputably one of the greatest Zen painters of Japan. Against the background of the development of Muromachi painting (15 th-16 th centuries), Sesshu appears to be the most brilliant and monumental figure. The key problem of the article feels urgent because Sesshu’s creative works are not studied properly in Russia. At the same time, his personality dominated the epoch, for no other combined as him mastered the native technique with full ability in all traditional modes of painting which had been developed in China. The present article aims at understanding the role and meaning of Sesshu’s creative works in the history of ink painting of Japan. Sesshu’s long travels to China gave him a first-hand knowledge of the country, unique opportunity to study the Chinese traditional master-paintings from the Sung and Yuan dynasties thereby acquiring an intimate feeling of their brushwork. The traditional Oriental method of study began with the faithful copying of a master’s work and then, theoretically, moved on to reinterpretation in a personal style. Sesshu has left a number of apprentice paintings done “in the manner” of certain Chinese painters, each dutifully signed with both his own name and that of his Chinese model. Enso sansui paintings are the brilliant example of deep penetration of Sesshu by the artistic style and manner of different Chinese masters. Ashikaga artists must have been familiar with the full range of continental traditions, with all the styles of paintings ( shin, gyo, so ), but Sesshu is the only 15 th century master from whose brush there remain authentic examples of all the manners of then current. “The Sesshu Style” has not been analyzed because this artist was not limited to any one style. The author of the article analyzed some of the most representative works of Sesshu from the point of its style, technique, symbolic and philosophical meaning and its role in the history of Japanese painting. The years coming after his returning to Japan were of the greatest importance for Sesshu and are characterized by his intensive travels throughout the country. His style became entirely Japanese and he mastered the art of transforming the Chinese monochrome paintings into Japanese pattern. This marked the most important period in Japanese painting and became the starting point for the Japanizing of Chinese art. The author came to the conclusion about certain mission of Sesshu in the history of Japanese art: to serve as a «spiritual bridge», mediator between ancient Chinese culture and his homeland, where after coming back from China he shared his experience and knowledge that he gained in China with his students in Japan. One of Sesshu’s great merit is that that he established a naturalistic style in opposition to the Higashiyama school in Kyoto, which practiced a formalistic and idealistic way of expression lacking in reality. Sesshu made himself entirely free of the academic style and created a Japanese style of ink painting.