Click image to view full screen
The Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup
✓ Authenticity guarantee · ✓ Specialist condition report · ✓ Insured worldwide shipping · ✓ Private-room viewing
Responding to the desires of the middle class (<em>chonin</em>), some late Edo period Japanese painters moved away from the seriousness associated with the Chinese theme of reclusion, focusing instead on the motif’s humorous aspects. The theme Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup is based on a poem by the renowned 8th-century Chinese poet Du Fu about his eight colleagues. These scholars eagerly sought release from their official governmental duties and then supposedly fled the capital for the countryside. There, they engaged in wildly eccentric behavior and adventurous creative work, all fueled by copious amounts of wine. Shohaku’s version of events exaggerates the scholars’ pleasure, as seen in their comical facial expressions.
| Artist / Maker | Soga Shōhaku |
|---|---|
| Date | later 1700s |
| Culture / Origin | Japan, Edo period (1615–1868) |
| Medium | pair of six-panel folding screens, ink and cut-gold foil on paper |
| Dimensions | Overall: 120 x 352.2 cm (47 1/4 x 138 11/16 in.) |
| Department | Japanese Art |
| Type | Painting |
About the Artist
BiographySoga Shōhaku (1730–1781) — Japanese painter (1730-1781).Soga Shōhaku worked as painter and merchant and is associated with Japan. Their documented life spans the years 1730 to 1781; born and died in Kyōto. Their work is linked to Unkoku school.Disciplinespainter, merchantBorn1730, KyōtoDied1781, KyōtoNationalityJapanMovementUnkoku schoolSources: Wikidata · Wikipedia Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
Shipping & Collection
Fine-art shipping with climate control and full insurance to over 120 countries; collection by appointment.
Buying at Matchless Pieces
Register, verify your identity, and bid online or in a private room. Buyer’s premium and taxes are shown before you confirm.
