蓮生法師図|Monk Renshō Riding His Horse Backwards
after 1782, ca. 1784
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink on paper
Dimensions
Image: 15 1/16 × 21 11/16 in. (38.3 × 55.1 cm) Overall with mounting: 48 11/16 × 22 7/16 in. (123.7 × 57 cm) Overall with knobs: 48 11/16 × 24 5/16 in. (123.7 × 61.8 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936
Accession Number
36.100.18
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the serene world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), Matsumura Gun captures a whimsical yet profound moment in *Monk Renshō His Horse Backwards*蓮生法師図 created around 1784. Goshun, a pioneering in the Shijō school of painting, blends the expressive freedom of Chinese literati art (nanga) with subtlety. This hanging scroll, rendered in delicate ink on paper, measures about 15 × 22 inches, designed to be unfurled for intimate viewing in a home or temple alcove. The subject, Monk Renshō—a quirky historical figure known for his eccentric humility—rides backward on his horse, symbolizing detachment from worldly vanities and a playful challenge to convention. Such depictions celebrate Zen-like paradoxes, inviting viewers to ponder enlightenment amid the everyday. Goshun's masterful ink washes and fluid brushstrokes evoke movement and spirit, with sparse lines animating the monk's robes, the horse's gait, and their harmonious bond. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art collection (acquired 1936), this work exemplifies how Edo artists infused Buddhist lore with humor and humanism, bridging spiritual tradition and artistic innovation for audiences then and now.
About the Artist
Matsumura Goshun · 1752–1811
Born in Kyoto, 1752, the eldest son of a prominent family. He studied calligraphy, music, and painting from an early age. His painting studies were under Ōnishi Suigetsu.