An abbot of the Shingon sect, Shōkadō Shōjō was also one of the finest calligraphers of the early Edo period. In Kyoto, he developed a refined and elegant, if at times eccentric, personal style of calligraphy. The subject of this portrait is similarly refined: Fujiwara no Toshinari (1114–1204) was commissioned by the Emperor in 1183 to compile a volume of the most important Japanese poetry of the last thousand years (Senzai Wakashū). Though a successful poet, he later became interested in Buddhism, assuming the name Shunzei. By painting him as a monk, Shōkadō elevates the poet to the pantheon of Buddhist holy men.

—Bradley Bailey