Download PDF - Asian Art Museum | Education

Who was the artist?
Soken, the painter, was trained in both the
Tosa and Kano schools of painting, which
he blended in his work. For example, energetic
Kano brushstrokes are used in the tree
branches, whereas delicate Tosa coloring
renders the distant hills and misty clouds.
He was the teacher of the important Rinpa
artist Ogata Korin.
What is the poetry about?
As in most Japanese screens, the panels are
read from right to left. The first panel to
the far right of the right screen represents
the first month, the far left panel on the
left screen represents the twelfth. In this
work, Soken has closely adhered to the
content of the poems. The birds, flowers,
plants and seasonal references all converge to
celebrate the changing aspect of nature.
detail of left screen representing 11th and 12th
months
The poems, which follow on a separate sheet that can be xeroxed as a handout, may serve as
a starting point for seeing what is depicted in the paintings.
Discussion/Activities
1) Write a poem.
These poems may be used for a lesson in poetry, where students read them and write
their own poems celebrating nature, the changing seasons, and local festivities using references
familiar to them, such as fog, the ocean, California poppies, eucalyptus trees,
Chinatown New Year’s parade, Japan Town Cherry Blossom festival, etc.
2) Interpret a poem.
Before showing the paintings, hand out the poems for students to read. Ask them to
pick one and read it carefully. Then ask them to draw a picture of what the poem
describes. Students then pass their pictures around so others can guess which poem their
neighbor’s picture represents. Then show the Soken painting and discuss it. Did Soken
represent everything in the poems? Did he add new ideas in the pictures?
Asian Art Museum Education Department