The Gods of Wind and Thunder

Maeda Seison, whose Poppies is also on display in this gallery, made no secret of his profound admiration for Sōtatsu and the artists who developed the Rinpa tradition. With these iconic images of the gods of wind and thunder, the artist placed himself in the lineage of Ogata Kōrin (1658–1716) and Sakai Hōitsu (1761–1828), who had created their own versions as an homage to Sōtatsu. Seison abandoned the two-panel folding screen pioneered by Sōtatsu and instead created a new, vertical composition, enclosing the two gods within a single painting. The wind god turns his back to the viewer, and the thunder god is without his drum. Seison also used a billowing ink outline and touches of color—the opposite of Sōtatsu’s approach.

The Gods of Wind and Thunder
Maeda Seison (1885–1977)
Japan, 1949
Painting
Ink and color on paper
Seki Art Gallery