Chinese Servant Walking in the Rain1500s · Study 2015.512

Context from the museum

Attributed to the artist Gakuō, this painting has a spurious seal of the influential Shōkokuji temple monk-painter Tenshō Shūbun (died about 1444–50), with whom he is said to have trained. Gakuō may have hailed from Ise in present-day Wakayama prefecture, an area south of Kyoto in the Kansai region. Although not much is known about his life, inscriptions on some of his paintings indicate strong ties with eminent monks in Kyoto’s major Zen temples.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting measurement for Chinese Servant Walking in the Rain is 33 cm wide and 44 cm high, equivalent to approximately 13.0 × 17.3 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.75:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.15 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 11.0% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 133.5 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Chinese Servant Walking in the Rain in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, hanging scroll; ink on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 33 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?