真美大観/宮本武藏筆鴻雁圖


鴻雁圖屏風一雙 
紙本墨畫
宮本武藏筆
各隻竪五尺一寸四分、横一丈一尺九寸二分
侯爵細川護成君藏

宮本武藏（又は無三四）、名は正名、幼名官治郎、後に武藏と呼び、二天と號す、播磨の武人新免無二齋の男なり、劔法を研究して、遂に二刀流の祖となれり、其武術に於ける手腕は、向ふ所天下に敵なく、四方に遊歴して到る處に劔法各流の首魁を朴し、六十四年の生涯中、生命を堵して輸腕を試みしこと六十餘回、必ず敵の眉間を打ちて勝を制し、一たびも敗を取りしことなかりきといふ、慶長年中（西暦第十六世紀の終）關が原の戰役等に從事して功あり、後、肥後の細川氏（今の公爵細川家）に屬し、正保二年（西暦一六四五年）熊本城下に歿す、年六十四、武藏の武勇は今日に至るまで、三尺の童孩も之れを知らざるなく、その木片を以て父の讐佐々木嚴流を撃殺せし事の如きは、劔道の佳話として演劇、講談の好題目となれり、武藏は漸く武勇卓絶なりしのみならず、畫道に於いても亦頗る造詣する所あり、其畫法は海北友松に學び、又長谷川風の法格をも參取し、之れを豪宕なる自家の手腕に任せて揮灑せるに由り、趣致超凡、氣雄力沈、武藏其人の意氣、紙縑の上に躍如たるを見る

こヽに出せる二圖は、武藏が主家細川氏の爲めに描きたるものにして、一は秋色漸く閑なる澤畔に十數羽の素鴨を寫し、一は雲花繽粉、萬物蘆索なる水邊に數羽の青雁を畫けり、就中、第一圖は殊に筆々遒勁、風物調諧、吾人をして嘆賞に堪へざらしむ、畫伯田能村竹田の如きは、此流の畫を喜ばざる人なりしも、然も武藏の布袋圖を愛藏して措かず、筆法雋頴、墨色沉酣、阿堵一點、奕々射人、と稱贊するに至る、蓋しこの屏風畫は、武藏が作品中の尤も優等なるものにして、啻に公爵家の珍什たるのみならず、また實に國家の重寶といふ可し

Wild Ducks. 
By Miyamoto Musashi.
A pair of folding screens, ink-sketch; each, 11 feet 9 inches by 5 feet 2/3 inch.
Owned by Marquis Morishige Hosokawa.
Collotype.

Miyamoto Musashi, whose real personal name was Masana, also called Kwanjiro in his boyhood, and whose artistic pseudonym was Niten, was a son of Munisai, a warrior of the province of Harima. Musashi studied the art of fencing and it was his travels all over the country he beat the ablest swordsmen of every school. In his little more than three score years he successfully defended his life nearly as many times, invariably striking his antagonist on the forehead. During the period of Keicho (latter part of the 16th century) he fought in battles of Sekigahara and other places. Afterwards he became a vassal of Lord Hosokawa (of the family of the present Marquis Hosokawa), and died in 1645 A.D. at Kumamoto aged sixty-four. Every boy knows of his bravery. His revenge on Sasaki Ganriu, the murderer of his father, how he slew him with nothing but two pieces of wood, is a favourite subject with theatres and storytellers. Not only was Musashi unequalled in bravery and swordsmanship, but he was also proficient in the peaceful art of painting, which he studied under Kaihoku Yusho, adopting also the style of the Hasegawa school. Executed in his bold dashing manner his paintings are elevated, spirited and vigorous, his energetic spirit plainly discovering itself on the canvas.

The two pictures here given were painted by Musashi for his Lord Hosokawa. In one a number of wild ducks are in a alley in the height of its autumnal beauty. The other is a snow scene, with a few wild geese on a dreary wintery bank. Of the two the former is especially admirable for its vigorous touches and harmonious compotition. The great artist Tanomura Chikuden had a prejudice against this style of paintings, but even he admired and highly prized a picture in his possession of "Hotei" painted by Musashi. Indeed these two paintings are treasures not only of Marquis Hosokawa, but of the nation.

底本 
田島志一編　『真美大観　第三册』　日本佛教眞美協會、1900年。

真美大観