True Landscape
真山水図
Sesshu Toyo · Muromachi period (late 15th century) · Hanging scroll
Image: Wikimedia Commons (Work page (opens in a new tab)) / Collection: Kosetsu Museum of Art (reduced in size on this site). Not provided by the museum PD-Art (PD-100) (opens in a new tab) View larger
True Landscape, an ink painting by Sesshu Toyo from his mid-to-late sixties. A hanging scroll with poems of praise by two Korean officials, it is designated an Important Cultural Property and held by the Kosetsu Museum of Art.
- Artist
- Sesshu Toyo
- Date
- Muromachi period (late 15th century)
- Medium / format
- Hanging scroll
About this work
This is a tall hanging scroll in which steep mountains and trees are painted in shades of ink, with a Chinese-poem inscription across the upper part. It is ink on paper, a single scroll from the Muromachi period.
According to the Kosetsu Museum of Art, Sesshu (1420-1506) was an artist who varied his style depending on the circumstances of each painting. This work dates from his mid-to-late sixties. While he was staying with the Ouchi clan in Yamaguchi, an envoy of the Ouchi carried this painting to Korea and brought it back with poems of praise written by two officials, Yi Son and Pak Hyongmun.
The museum explains that Sesshu painted a landscape in the orthodox Shubun style as a piece to be presented in diplomacy. It is an Important Cultural Property. The Kosetsu Museum changes its displays with each exhibition, and this work is not on permanent view.
Where can I see it?
Exhibitions change over time. Check each museum's exhibition information before you visit.
Museums that hold this work
- Kosetsu Museum of ArtMuseum's page for this work (opens in a new tab)
Kobe
Closed long-term since December 20, 2021, for reconstruction of its facilities. Exhibitions continue at the Nakanoshima Kosetsu Museum of Art in Osaka.
Plan your visit to Kosetsu Museum of Art
Find places to stay, activities and rental cars for a visit to Kosetsu Museum of Art, which holds "True Landscape".
Frequently asked questions
- Who painted True Landscape, and when?
- True Landscape is by Sesshu Toyo, made in Muromachi period (late 15th century). Medium: Hanging scroll.
- Where can I see True Landscape?
- It is held by Kosetsu Museum of Art. Exhibitions change, so check each museum's information before you visit.
Sources and references
- Kosetsu Museum of Art (in Japanese) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-06)
- Wikimedia Commons (in Japanese) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-06)
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