SAKURAI SOKEN (LATE 18TH–19TH CENTURIES) A small painting in ink and light colours on silk, depicting Shu Baishin, who was so passionate about reading that he would read whilst walking to the market where he took his bundles of firewood. Signed lower right: Sûkaku Seikinsha. Seal illegible (circa 1840). Mounted on a passe-partout with bevelled corners. (Fading). Japan, Edo period, 19th century. A PAINTING IN INK AND COLOURS ON PAPER, SHU BAISHIN BY SOKEN, JAPAN, EDO PERIOD, 19TH CENTURY. DIM. 29.3 X 26.5 CM (11 9/16 X 10 7/16 IN.) About the artist: A painter of the Edo period, he first studied the Kanō style, then that of Hanabusa Itchō. Note Shu Baishin (Chinese: Zhu Maichen) was a political figure of the Western Han dynasty, around the 2nd century BC. Born into a poor family, he had to climb the mountain every day to chop wood to earn a living, which left him no time to study. However, he was a diligent student and would often read whilst carrying wood on his back.