Old Taoist [Hardcover]

Stephen Addiss (Author), Jonathan Chaves (Author), J. Thomas Rimer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2000

In the literary and artistic milieu of early modern Japan the Chinese and Japanese arts flourished side by side. Kodôjin, the "Old Taoist" (1865-1944), was the last of these great poet-painters in Japan. Portraying this last representative of a tradition of gentle and refined artistry in the midst of a society that valued economic growth and national achievement, this beautifully illustrated book includes a wide selection of his finest poems, paintings, and calligraphy.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Rooting around in a Kyoto antique shop, Stephen Addiss came across a fine example of literati painting by a hand he didn't recognize. Little did he know then that he had discovered an artist he now calls the last of Japan's great literati, Fukuda Kodojin. Kodojin, who styled himself "Old Taoist," should have gone the way of other effete scholars with Japan's radical 19th-century modernization. Instead he wandered in the boundless realms of the three treasures--painting, poetry, and calligraphy--until his death in 1944. Addiss discovered the genuine article, a scholar of cultured sensibility who had mastered the ancient Chinese arts and expressed them with a style all his own. Addiss introduces us to that style through dozens of examples of Kodojin's painting and calligraphy, and over 250 poems. To translate the Chinese poetry, he recruited Jonathan Chaves, who shows the scholar's work to be elegant and wistful, echoing themes of Confucianism and Taoism. Kodojin's work transports us back to a time when art was a way of communicating among friends and not cheapened by exchanges of money. Old Taoist reminds us that even in a modern world, the pursuit of beauty and genuineness are not only possible but necessary. --Brian Bruya

Review

Kodôjin´s poems and paintings reveal both the triumphs and the ambiguities of Japan´s new age, rooted in the Chinese past, nourished for centuries on Japanese soil, and now turned with both expectation and trepidation toward the West. His work caps the rich Japanese heritage. . . . The story of Addiss´s patient unearthing of this unusual life and work, very nearly lost to history, itself makes a gripping narrative, and is a triumph of modern scholarship. -- Review

Kodojin's poems and paintings reveal both the triumphs and the ambiguities of Japan's new age, rooted in the Chinese past, nourished for centuries on Japanese soil, and now turned with both expectation and trepidation toward the West. His work caps the rich Japanese heritage. . . . The story of Addiss's patient unearthing of this unusual life and work, very nearly lost to history, itself makes a gripping narrative, and is a triumph of modern scholarship. -- David Pollack, University of Rochester

Written in clear prose and complemented by skillful translations of Kodojin's poetry, this richly informative volume brings the reclusive painter-poet to life for scholars and general readers alike. -- Karen M. Gerhart, associate professor of Asian humanities, Northern Arizona University

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press (March 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 023111656X
• ISBN-13: 978-0231116565
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,598,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stephen Addiss is Tucker-Boatwright Professor of the Humanities and Professor of Art at the University of Richmond in Virginia, United States. He has exhibited his ink paintings and calligraphy in Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, England, France, Germany, and in many venues in the United States. He is also the author or co-author of more than 30 books and catalogues about East Asian art, including "Old Taoist," "Tao Te Ching." "The Art of Zen," "Tall Mountains and Flowing Waters," "Haiga: Haiku-Painting," "Zen Sourcebook," "and "How to Look at Japanese Art."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended to students of Asian philosophy & poetry., April 4, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Old Taoist (Hardcover)

Translations of and commentary on one author's Taoist poems are presented in a warm blend of spiritual, religious and philosophical inspection which considers the last of the great poet-painters of Japan. Over 150 of his poems are treated to an appraisal which considers both form and content in a fine coverage worthy of inclusion in any strong Asian collection.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gentle absorbing study, July 27, 2006

By 

Max Hurst (Richardson, Tx United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Old Taoist (Paperback)

A good, continually absorbing study of a contemporary though tradtional Japanese poet names Kodojin(d. 1943). The writing style holds one's interest throughout and the story of the poet's life along with his poems,paintings and drawings is always delightful and interesting. If you love Japanese haiku by such masters as Bassho and chinese poetry from the Tang you will find this study worthy of your attention. I have never read a book quite like it.