Portrait of Daruma
Daruma (the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of the Sanskrit Bodhidharma) was among the most common subjects for Zen monk-painters. Born in India in the 6th century A.D., Daruma is recognized as the first patriarch of Chan (Japanese: Zen) Buddhism in China.
Unkoku Tōgan’s portrait of Daruma is presented in full profile—a somewhat uncommon rendering, though precedents exist in surviving works attributed to Sesshū and his celebrated Chinese predecessor Muqi (active until 1279). Usually the Buddhist saint is presented in three-quarters profile, or in a full-frontal view. Since Daruma came from India, he is inevitably rendered as South Asian, hirsute, and with a bulging nose. Here the outline of his cranium, from the back of the neck to the curve of the nostril, is skillfully rendered in a single modulated stroke—a trademark of many later ink renditions of the monk by other artists. The facial expression is captured with the utmost economy of brush strokes. The elongated earlobes and earring serve as a signal of a connection to the historic Buddha, who was born into a royal family, and thus wore jewelry. The outlines of the robes are rendered in boldly brushed, almost calligraphic lines. The figure of the master is left mostly in reserve except for the grey lines of his shaggy hair and beard, silhouetted against the surrounding in gray wash that creates an amorphous blank space—not darkness, not bright sky—just nothing.
Tōgan was an artist trained in the Kano atelier who positioned himself as an heir to the legacy of Chinese ink painting in the style of Tōyō Sesshū (1420–1506). Born into a wealthy samurai family in Nagasaki, Tōgan eventually moved to Yamaguchi to serve as an official painter for the daimyō Mori Terumoto. While based in Yamaguchi, Tōgan was allowed live in the temple building Unkoku’an, “Hermitage in the Valley of Clouds,” once occupied by Sesshū. By taking Buddhist vows himself and immersing himself in the study of Sesshū, Tōgan created numerous Zen-inspired works.
Unkoku Tōgan’s portrait of Daruma is presented in full profile—a somewhat uncommon rendering, though precedents exist in surviving works attributed to Sesshū and his celebrated Chinese predecessor Muqi (active until 1279). Usually the Buddhist saint is presented in three-quarters profile, or in a full-frontal view. Since Daruma came from India, he is inevitably rendered as South Asian, hirsute, and with a bulging nose. Here the outline of his cranium, from the back of the neck to the curve of the nostril, is skillfully rendered in a single modulated stroke—a trademark of many later ink renditions of the monk by other artists. The facial expression is captured with the utmost economy of brush strokes. The elongated earlobes and earring serve as a signal of a connection to the historic Buddha, who was born into a royal family, and thus wore jewelry. The outlines of the robes are rendered in boldly brushed, almost calligraphic lines. The figure of the master is left mostly in reserve except for the grey lines of his shaggy hair and beard, silhouetted against the surrounding in gray wash that creates an amorphous blank space—not darkness, not bright sky—just nothing.
Tōgan was an artist trained in the Kano atelier who positioned himself as an heir to the legacy of Chinese ink painting in the style of Tōyō Sesshū (1420–1506). Born into a wealthy samurai family in Nagasaki, Tōgan eventually moved to Yamaguchi to serve as an official painter for the daimyō Mori Terumoto. While based in Yamaguchi, Tōgan was allowed live in the temple building Unkoku’an, “Hermitage in the Valley of Clouds,” once occupied by Sesshū. By taking Buddhist vows himself and immersing himself in the study of Sesshū, Tōgan created numerous Zen-inspired works.
Artwork Details
- Title: Portrait of Daruma
- Artist: Unkoku Tōgan (Japanese, 1547–1618)
- Period: Momoyama (1573–1615)
- Date: early 17th century
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 35 1/4 in. × 13 in. (89.5 × 33 cm)
Overall with mounting: 71 × 18 5/8 in. (180.3 × 47.3 cm)
Overall with knobs: 71 × 20 5/8 in. (180.3 × 52.4 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015
- Object Number: 2015.500.9.9
- 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.
Ikei Shūtoku 惟馨周徳
probably 19th century
Unkoku Tōgan
late 16th–early 17th century
Unkoku Tōgan
second half 16th century–early 17th century
Unkoku Tōgan
Gyokuho Jōsō
early 17th century
Kano Tan'yū
mid-17th century
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.