Zen-tekening en kalligrafie 1799 - 1869

Sōzan Genkyō made this Zen drawing and calligraphy scroll in Japan, sometime in the first seven decades of the 19th century. The large circle, or Enso, drawn with a single brushstroke, is a classic motif in Zen Buddhism. Here, the Enso seems to frame the figure of a robed woman, perhaps a Bodhisattva, seated on a rocky promontory, with calligraphy above. These images, embodying Zen principles of enlightenment, meditation, and mindfulness, became increasingly popular in Japan during a period of social and political upheaval, as the Tokugawa Shogunate gave way to the Meiji Restoration. Zen Buddhism was attractive to many Japanese because it offered a path to personal spiritual growth and social reform. By researching the artist’s biography, and the cultural history of the late Edo and early Meiji periods, we can understand the scroll not just as a beautiful object, but as an expression of the social and political aspirations of its time.