“One flower opens to five leaves. Everything is accomplished naturally. 1817—Shunsō’s first brushwork of the New Year.”

Large-scale portraits were a specialty of Shunsō, who painted this image of Zen’s first patriarch as an auspicious act to begin the New Year. The contrast between the dark, gestural brushstrokes of Daruma’s robe and the soft, gray washes that delineate his beard, hair, and furrowed brows imparts a playful severity to Daruma’s expression.

 

The inscription, part of a poem possibly composed by Daruma, appears on numerous images of the patriarch and urges us to open our minds, expanding our consciousness like the single bud of a flower that blossoms into many petals. In doing so, enlightenment will naturally follow.

 

—Bradley Bailey