Sesshu Toyo 雪舟等楊

雪舟等楊 Sesshu Toyo (1420-1506)
A Zen priest and painter of the Muromachi period (1333-1573). He established the technique of suiboku-ga (ink and wash painting) and perfected landscape painting. He is one of the greatest masters in the history of Japanese art. Born in present-day Okayama Prefecture. He is thought to have studied painting with Shubun, but there are many unknowns. In 1467, at the age of 48, he went to China for two years. In Beijing, he painted murals at the order of the emperor and was widely praised. He was also highly regarded as a Zen monk. His painting style is characterized by crisp lines and a strong compositional structure with depth, which expresses the sincere and strict nature of a Zen monk. His influence on later generations of the Unkoku, Kano, and Hasegawa schools was immense. His disciples include Akizuki Tokan.