“Drunken Li Bai”

Soga Shōhaku

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Artist Name: Soga Shōhaku
Title: “Drunken Li Bai”
Dimensions: painting：98.6×33.0cm
full length：170.0×50.0cm
Medium: ink on silk
Description: The painting depicts Li Bai, the famed wine-loving poet of Tang-dynasty China, supported on either side by two young attendants. From the clearly rendered expression on Li Bai’s face, one senses that he is far from finished drinking, his demeanor suggesting that he could easily continue his revelry.

Soga Shōhaku (1730–1781) was a painter of the mid-Edo period. He was born into a Kyoto merchant family known as Tanbaya (or Tango-ya). His family name was Miura, and his given name was Teruo. In addition to Shōhaku, he used several art names, including Dasokken, Kodō, and Kishinsai. He is said to have studied under Takada Keisuke, a painter associated with the Kyoto Kanō school. Shōhaku traveled extensively in the Ise region, where many of his works remain today.

Claiming to be a descendant of the Soga school, Shōhaku frequently depicted traditional subjects such as Chinese historical and literary figures. While influenced by Keisuke’s bold and unconventional style, he transformed it into a highly personal mode of expression. His works are distinguished by their eccentricity and by a striking emphasis on subjective vision and individuality.