Lu Zhishen Drunkenly Destroys Mt. Godai's Kongojin
Artist
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡 芳年
(Japanese, 1839–1892)
DateFebruary 1, 1887
Mediumwoodblock print; ink, color, embossing, and burnishing on paper
Dimensions37.6 × 25.5 cm (image), 75.2 × 25.5 cm (oban)
ClassificationsPrints
Credit LineStoddard Acquistion Fund
Object number1989.130
DescriptionThe former village police officer Roshishin joined the Buddhist clergy after killing someone in a violent rage. Unsuited to the life of a monk, he joined a bandit gang, whose adventures are recounted in the Chinese novel, Water Margin. In one episode, the tattooed Roshishin demonstrated his strength by smashing the guardian statues flanking a temple. Fully exploiting the compositional possibilities of the vertical format, the statue’s backward slant and the architectural angles emphasize the kinetic tension, making the giant figure seem ready to topple.Label TextThe former village police officer Roshishin joined the Buddhist clergy after killing someone in a violent rage. Unsuited to the life of a monk, he joined a bandit gang, whose adventures are recounted in the Chinese novel, Water Margin. In one episode, the tattooed Roshishin demonstrated his strength by smashing the guardian statues flanking a temple. Fully exploiting the compositional possibilities of the vertical format, the statue’s backward slant and the architectural angles emphasize the kinetic tension, making the giant figure seem ready to topple.
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