Yamaguchi Sekkei

Yamaguchi Sekkei, active primarily between 1644 and 1699, stands as an important, transitional figure of the mid-Edo period Japanese painting tradition. Known also by the artistic names Sōsetsu, Baian, and Hakuin, Sekkei’s professional career coincided with a major shift in patronage, moving away from strictly courtly circles toward a growing class of wealthy urban merchants. His style, marked by a balance of classical academic precision and vigorous, expressive brushwork, reflects the refined, yet ambitious, cultural demands of this powerful new clientele.

While Sekkei demonstrated a nuanced capacity for classical academic subjects, exemplified by his contemplative rendering of the traditional landscape theme, Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers, his particular genius lay in the dramatic depiction of monumental fauna. He frequently executed grand, multi-panel screens dedicated to dynamic, almost theatrical subjects. He specialized almost obsessively in a single, formidable subject: the powerful, often confrontational drama encapsulated in Lions and Tigers in Peony and Bamboo.

That he executed this specific motif multiple times, with extant versions residing in significant collections today, suggests both a profound mastery of the challenging form and a considerable commercial demand for large-scale, slightly stylized apex predators. These imposing panels, sometimes accompanied by the more intimate composition Swallows, must have served as the ultimate visual status symbol for the era’s affluent elite, favoring ostentatious displays of power and beauty. Sekkei navigated this stylistic demand with skill, employing rich mineral pigments and subtle ink washes to imbue his beasts with palpable energy, a quality that elevates these works above mere decoration.

His enduring relevance is underscored by key holdings in prestigious institutions outside Japan, including the Art Institute of Chicago and the Cleveland Museum of Art, preserving these fine examples of Yamaguchi Sekkei paintings for contemporary study. Fortunately, for those unable to view the originals in person, several of his compositions are now in the public domain and widely accessible as high-quality prints, allowing the full scope of his 17th-century output to be appreciated globally.