The Waterfall

painting by Shingei

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

"The Waterfall" is a famous painting by Shingei, a Japanese artist from the 15th century. Shingei was part of a family of painters who served the Ashikaga shoguns. He was inspired by Chinese landscape masters and his painting style, known as suiboku (monochromatic ink painting), was influenced by Tenshō Shūbun. "The Waterfall" (1480) is a prime example of Shingei's work, executed in Shūbun's manner but with a more stylized approach that departed from earlier Chinese landscape paintings. This painting was a parting gift for Shingei's disciple, Kei Shōki.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Shingei
Shingei’s most famous painting, “The Waterfall” (1480; in the Nezu Art Museum in Tokyo), is executed in the Tenshō Shūbun manner; but its pronounced stylization represents a significantly greater departure from the original Chinese landscape paintings. Shingei’s style was continued by his disciple Kei Shoki, for whom “The Waterfall” was…
Read More
Shingei’s most famous painting, “The Waterfall” (1480; in the Nezu Art Museum in Tokyo), is executed in the Tenshō Shūbun manner; but its pronounced stylization represents a significantly greater departure from the original Chinese landscape paintings. Shingei’s style was continued by his disciple Kei Shoki, for whom “The Waterfall” was…
Read More