Byōdōin in the snow 雪景色の平等院 | Okajima Seikō 岡嶋清曠 | 1828-1877

Byōdōin Temple in Uji, south of Kyoto, is one of Japan's most famous and best-preserved medieval temple complexes. It adorns the reverse of the 10-yen bronze coin and is a must-see for every tourist. Spectacular photos can be taken of this magnificent temple against the backdrop of a pond where it is reflected.

But Okajima Seikō doesn't think in such terms. He belongs to the Shijō school and is a true Kyoto native, for whom intimacy is more important than ostentatious grandeur. Style, for him, lies in what is refined and conveys human warmth. The snow-covered pines impress with their elegance at least as much as the 10th-century temple complex. The two imposing golden phoenix figures adorning the roof of the central building are, in his painting, just two pretty little birds.

What the painter truly admired, however, were the rich arrangements of beams, columns, and roofs within the complex. He masterfully rhythmically arranges them all, disregarding their actual proportions. In this way, Byōdoin becomes an intimate temple in this painting, one that, in its winter attire, delights every discerning visitor to Kyoto.