Immortals
The Chinese Daoist immortals are legendary mountain recluses who attained supernatural powers and longevity by practicing meditation and alchemy. Auspicious personalities, they became a popular subject for screens and sliding-door panels in sixteenth-century Japan. The attributes seen here, such as the flute, the basket of life-extending fungus, and the gourd, suggest that these figures represent four of the Eight Immortals. The remaining four (including the two female immortals) were presumably depicted on the missing mate to this screen.
The Hasegawa workshop was one of the most important producers of screens and paintings for the great lords and merchants of the Momoyama (1573–1615) and early Edo periods. This example demonstrates the Hasegawa expertise both with ink and with exotic Chinese subjects. Bold, exaggerated brushstrokes give the figures their eccentric energy—an effect enhanced by the shallow foreground space framed by the pine and rocks.
The Hasegawa workshop was one of the most important producers of screens and paintings for the great lords and merchants of the Momoyama (1573–1615) and early Edo periods. This example demonstrates the Hasegawa expertise both with ink and with exotic Chinese subjects. Bold, exaggerated brushstrokes give the figures their eccentric energy—an effect enhanced by the shallow foreground space framed by the pine and rocks.
Artwork Details
- 群仙図屏風
- Title: Immortals
- Artist: Hasegawa Sakon 長谷川左近 (Japanese, born 1593)
- Period: early Edo period (1615–1868)
- Date: ca. 1620s–30s
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Six-panel folding screen; ink and gold on paper
- Dimensions: 58 1/4 in. × 10 ft. 1 3/4 in. (147.9 × 309.2 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1933
- Object Number: 33.89
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Japan
early 17th century
Maruyama Ōkyo 円山応挙
right screen: 1774; left screen: 1793
Japan
early 17th century
Ogata Kōrin
after 1709
Ogata Kōrin
ca. 1704–9
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.