Jokei Sumiyoshi

Born 1598; died 1670.

Painter. He founded the Sumiyoshi school of Yamatoe painting (see Japan, §VI, 4(ii)). He trained in the Tosa school tradition, in the studios of Tosa Mitsuyoshi (1539–1613) and Tosa Mitsunori (1583–1638). In 1654 he collaborated with Kano- Tan’yu- (see Kano-, (11)) and Tosa Mitsuoki (see Tosa, (3)) in the production of the sliding-door paintings (sho-hekiga) for the Imperial palace in Kyoto. Among his extant works, the most important, is the To-sho-gu- engi emaki (‘To-sho-gu- handscroll’; Kishu- To-sho-gu-), which illustrates the life of the first Tokugawa shogun, Ieyasu (1543–1616).

Jokei enjoyed a close relationship with the shogunate, and both he and his son, (2) Sumiyoshi Gukei, were appointed to the post of official painter (goyo- eshi) to the shogunate. In 1661 he became a monk, changing his name to Jokei. Two years later Emperor Gosai (reg 1655–63) appointed Jokei to the Edokoro (Office of Painting) of Sumiyoshi Shrine in Settsu Province (now Osaka) and allowed him to change his name from Tosa to Sumiyoshi and to establish the Sumiyoshi school. In 1668 Jokei painted the To-nomine engi emaki (‘To-nomine handscroll’; Kyoto, Danzan Shrine), as part of the celebrations for the thousandth anniversary of the death of Heian-period (794–1185) statesman Fujiwara no Kamatari (614–69). While remaining in the miniaturist tradition of the Tosa school, Jokei developed his own style. The rich colouration and structural compositions found in Jokei’s work reveal the influence of the Kamakura-period (1185–1333) painter Takashina Takakane. Jokei’s other representative works include: Sho-toku Taishi eden (‘Pictorial biography of Prince Sho-toku’; Kyoto, Ko-ryu-ji); Ise monogatari emaki (‘Tale of Ise handscroll’; priv. col.); Genji monogatari gajo- (‘Picture album of the Tale of Genji’; London, BL); Uji shu-i monogatari emaki (‘Uji tales handscroll’; c. 1180–1220; Washington, DC, Freer); Nenju- gyo-ji emaki (‘Annual celebrations handscroll’; priv. col.

"Sumiyoshi." In Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online, http://www.oxfordartonline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/art/T082325pg1 (accessed May 8, 2012).