Otagaki Rengetsu Waka and Painting ("Living deep in the mountains...")

[Iaido dude]

 

Ōtagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875). This calligraphy with painting is one of her most famous waka, evoking a melancholic solitude that was part and parcel of the life she led as a Buddhist nun. The moon or sun peeking out from the clouds is a lovely touch.

 

living deep in the mountains

i’ve grown fond

of the sighing pines--

on days when the wind is still

how lonely it becomes

yamazato wa (やまさとハ)

matsu no koe nomi (まつのこゑのみ)

kiki nare te (ききなれて)

kaze fuka nu hi wa (かせふかぬひハ)

sabishikari keri (さびしかりけり)

[Viper6924]

It’s indeed one of her most well-known waka. This one is very easy to relate to even for people not used to enjoy poetry.

For reference let me share the same poem executed in a slightly different style 🙂

This is a large shikishi and it shows how the old lady never wasted anything. This is from her early years. Work from this period is quite rare. First it got an illustration made by Rengetsu herself. A huge bonus. But what makes it truely unique is that she clearly ran out of space. But instead of putting it in the fire, she just added the last line of the poem to the bottom of this shikishi. Apparently a good move as this piece of art survived until the 21th century 🙂

 

Jan

 

[Iaido dude]

Jan, there was no age given in her signature for our two renditions of her poem. How do you date yours as an early work? The poem itself or the fact that she did the painting herself? I have see numerous examples in which she choses to paint different subjects that appear in her waka, as in this case. 

[Viper6924]

It’s mainly to do with the style of her signature. Having a long and VERY productive life, her style varied quite a lot. But there are features to look for.

The way she draws the pine needles etc are typical of her.

To be honest, her ability as an artist, when it came to drawings, were limited. 
Usually I can nail an original Rengetsu drawing in seconds 🙂

 

Jan

[Iaido dude]

I am left wondering if the painting in my composition was not done by her even though it was not signed by a collaborator. I find it to be too refined--at least for an early work of hers. Or perhaps she did it at a later time in her life.

[Viper6924]

We know that Rengetsu helped many budding artist to sell their art by adding one of her poems to them. That way they could bring in some well-needed funds.
I think that explain why we see so many illustrated waka by Rengetsu with the artwork itself left unsigned.

We see this in all sort of arts from Japan. An artist in training wouldn’t sign their work in respect of their teachers or more accomplished artists.

I think your scroll is such a cooperation. I have several in my collection.

 

 

Jan

[Iaido dude]

Some of the artist collaborators sign and/or stamp their mei. 

 

Would you consider the waka we have been discussing a winter poem?

[Viper6924]

There are indeed many works where the artist added a signature/seal, but the vaste majority of these were made by famous/semi famous artist.

 

The pine is an evergreen, so it’s not poetically connected to any season. If you combine it with plum and bamboo, well then it’s connected to winter. But on its own, as in this poem, it’s non-seasonal. 

Jan