This screen painting relates closely to a pair of screens Sōtatsu painted of Matsushima, a site near Sendai in northern Japan famous for its scenic beauty and named after its tiny islands dotted with pines. The screen echoes Sōtatsu’s composition with its gold-filled cloud formations and its rocks in vibrant shades of brown, blue, and green. However, growing from the rocks are maple trees with autumnal leaves, not pines, and newly introduced are two empty boats adrift amid the gently rolling waves. These details generate a somber, mysterious atmosphere.
