View of Amanohashidate

This masterpiece depicts a bird's eye view of the famous sandbar in Tango province, one of the Three Famous Scenic Spots in Japan. The painting can be dated by the coexistence in the scene of the two-story pagoda of Chion-ji Temple, which was built in 1501, and the buildings of Nariai-ji Temple, which burned down in 1507. It is remarkable to think that the artist, who was well into his eighties at the time, climbed to such heights to paint from this perspective. The painting's combination of soft, wet ink tones, precise brushwork and sublime composition represent the acme of Sesshu Toyo's (1420-1506) art. This painting can be considered the masterpiece of an artist who went to China to study painting from life and the art of the Song and Yuan Dynasties and sought the unity of Zen and art throughout his life.

— Museum description: Kyoto National Museum (CC BY 4.0), via ColBase / Japan Search.