Landscape in the Manner of Ni Zan

The title of Yamanaka Shinten’ō’s work is reflected in the empty pavilion and the distancing of the background from the foreground, characteristics associated with the work of Ni Zan, however, the playful brushwork is the artist’s own. The inscription is ambiguous; perhaps Shinten’ō is congratulating himself for retaining his own style despite his comprehensive knowledge of classical Chinese painting; perhaps it is a lament for the perceived fall of nanga into stale academicism that occurred again and again through history. Inscription 予画本無宗傳 惟以山川為筆墨 似雲烟為渲染 幾處冩之於此 有餘師 My painting originally had no sect or doctrine, I just rely on mountains and rivers for my brush and ink, clouds and mist for tones and shadings, so wherever I go to sketch, I have many teachers. (Transl. by Steven Addiss 1993)