Xuyou and Chaofu (Screen)

This screen is ink on paper, 156.7 cm high and 166.0 cm wide. It is presumed to have been painted when Shohaku was about 30 to 33, and it is regarded as valuable as one of the few strong works from his earliest period.

The subject is a story from ancient China. Emperor Yao heard of Xuyou's reputation and offered to hand him the throne, but Xuyou said he had heard something unclean and washed his ears in the Ying River. Chaofu, who received the same offer, saw Xuyou washing his ears and is said to have turned his ox back, since he could not let it drink the dirty water.

The coarse expressions, the distinctive eyes, the dense drawing that fills almost the whole picture and the fantastical mood created by strong contrasts of light and dark are all typical of Shohaku. At the same time, details such as extremely fine ink lines and delicate gradations are excellent. In the image, an ox and a figure are drawn by the water against a rocky mountain wreathed in clouds.