The painting is a type 0f traditionally displayed as a backdrop during special occasion such as the visit of a dignitary or in celebration of the changing seasons.
In this painting, Sōtatsu’s dynamic seascape shows a dramatic interplay among the cloud and land forms, the bending pines on rocky islands, and the turbulent, white-capped waves. The craggy rocks are painted in bright mineral colors of green, blue, and red ochre, highlighted with gold.
Waves at Matsushima by Tawaraya Sōtatsu
