Peach and Plum Garden Banquet at Night and Inscribing a Rock at the Western Garden (Screens)

This is a major work by Goshun, regarded as the founder of the Shijo school. The right screen shows a flower-viewing banquet given by Li Bai of the Tang dynasty, and the left shows Mi Fu writing on a rock wall, a scene from the "Elegant Gathering at the Western Garden," where Song dynasty literati met at Wang Shen's garden. It is ink and light color on paper, and each screen measures 166.2 cm high and 372.0 cm wide.

The rhythmic brushwork of the rocks and trees creates a sense of movement, and the transparent pale indigo, green and red ochre add splendor. The figures and the objects on the table are drawn carefully with fine ink lines.

The literati-painting manner is inherited from his teacher Yosa Buson, but the realistic description, bright picture surface and refined elegance are Goshun's own strengths. From the style of the signature and the painting, the work is regarded as dating from his Ikeda period, at about age 30 to 38, when he had moved to Ikeda after losing his wife and father in succession. The image shows one of the screens, with people gathered near trees beneath the moon.