Painting on silk in mineral pigments, sumi ink, and gofun or clam shell gesso mounted as a hanging scroll, depicting a Japanese robin in a deep canyon filled with melting snow and the last year’s fallen leaves. Signed on the lower left by the artist: Misao, and sealed (Kawafune Misao, the go or art name of Kawafune Suikan, 1887 – 1980). Showa 11 or 1936.

Titled: Seiin or Pure Tone, this painting was first exhibited at the Bunten Kansaten in 1936, when it was acquired directly from the painter by the art patron and collector Hosokawa Rikizo. Along with the rest of his painting collection it entered the Meguro Gajoen Museum Collection after the War, from which it was acquired by Kagedo in 2003. It is illustrated in full color in the Nittenshi, volume 12, page 60, number 30.

Kawafune Misao was born in the Nihonbashi section of Tokyo to a family of former samurai from the Matsumoto fiefdom. In 1904 Misao began studying Tosa style painting under Kobori Tomoto. He joined the Koji Art group in 1907, and first had a painting accepted to the government sponsored exhibitions with the 9th Bunten in 1915. Subsequently Misao exhibited in nearly every Teiten exhibition, winning the highest honors (tokusen) at the 10th Teiten in 1929. In 1936 his submission of this painting, Seiin, to the Bunten Kansaten was given the status of an “invited work” (shotai shuppin). With the establishment of the Shin-Bunten in 1937 Misao continued to show his work with non-vetted status (mukansa), exhibiting a mastery of historical painting. In 1935 he participated in the formation of the Ichibukai painting group. In 1944 during the War, Misao evacuated to his family’s home in Nagano Prefecture.

After the War, Misao withdrew from the government sponsored exhibitions, participating in the formation of the Shinshu Art Group and helping to judge regional exhibitions such as the Zen Shinshu (All Nagano) Art Show and the Kenten (Prefectural Exhibition). Later he returned to Setagaya, Tokyo, where he died on May 16, 1980.

For other paintings by Kawafune Misao, c.f. numbers 44 and 56 in this catalogue.

Paintings by Kawafune Misao are in the collections of the Tokyo Museum of Modern Art, the Nagano Prefecture Shinano Art Museum, the Matsumoto Municipal Art Museum, the Suwa Municipal Art Museum, and the Saku Municipal Art Museum.

Kawafune Misao’s paintings often focus on historical figures, but in the Showa Era he also produced many depictions of natural scenes in the bird and flower tradition. With Seiin, Misao gives us a modernist, almost Cubist treatment of the angular rock walls. Strong diagonals frame the composition, finely detailed with the melting snow and leaves. The color palette of browns and muted greens, with the translucent white of the snow conveys the chill of late winter or the first pure note of spring. It is this moment in the shift of seasons, focused on the lone Japanese robin, which Misao renders with accomplished mastery.