Shōkadō Shōjō (松花堂昭乗)

Shōkadō Shōjō (松花堂昭乗) was an artist active during the 17th century, with his recorded activity spanning the operational dates of 1600-1700. His surviving output demonstrates proficiency in both traditional painting and calligraphy, encompassing poetic transcriptions and naturalistic subjects.

The artist’s historical significance is established by the five works currently represented in museum collections, including important holdings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These catalogued works include three paintings and two textual pieces.

Among the paintings held in these collections are works combining poetry and illustration, such as Poem by Fujiwara no Okikaze with Underpainting of Clematis and Poem by Onakatomi Yoshinobu with Underpainting of Hollyhocks. Another documented painting is Sparrow on Plum Branch (Ume ni Suzume), a focus on the bird-and-flower genre. Beyond visual compositions, Shōkadō Shōjō is known for calligraphic skill, exemplified by a surviving Letter and a Freehand copy of a transcription of “The Song of Everlasting Sorrow” by Bai Juyi.

The surviving Shōkadō Shōjō (松花堂昭乗) paintings and transcriptions offer valuable insight into the artistic standards of the period. For scholars and enthusiasts, high-quality prints of the artist’s work are widely available, many stemming from public domain museum reproductions.