Choyo: Monk Sewing under Morning Sun, c.1350 or earlier (ink on paper)

A brisk range of brushstrokes of varied modulation and tonality captures the humble, begrudging essence of a monk repairing a garment. There is nothing ethereal, calm, or-in contemporary terms-stylishly "Zen-like" about this slightly frazzled, scruffy monk; he is totally of this world, striving against the treacheries of the flesh toward an enlightenment that may ultimately be touched by the feel of the thread’s texture on his tongue. Lee grasped this and the skill with which the essential notion was rendered. The painter, Kao, assimilated Chinese works and created a truly indigenous Japanese ink-painting movement. The energy characteristic of his best work suggests not merely technical virtuosity but an infusion of insight from a dedicated religious spirit.