A Poetic Gathering

In Japan, both Chinese-style poems (kanshi) and Edo period Japanese poems (haikai) paralleled the Chinese literati and Japanese painting haiga traditions. Edo literati painter Matsumura Goshun painted eight poets from the anthology of 36 haikai poets compiled by his teacher Yosa Buson. When Buson died in 1783, Matsumura was asked to care for his teacher’s young daughter; Matsumura added paintings to Buson’s poetic writings to sell and raise money for her marriage. Here, he included Buson’s poem at the top of the painting.