新型コロナウイルスの拡大に伴い自粛宣言が出された4月に、一冊の本が目にとまった。昨年の11月に発刊さればかりの葉室麟氏の「墨龍賦(ぼくりゅうふ)」。安土桃山時代に活躍した絵師「海北友松(かいほうゆうしょう)」を題材にした小説である。

A book caught my eye in April when the declaration of self-restraint was issued as the new coronavirus spread. Mr.Rin Hamuro's “Bokuryufu”, which was published just last November. This novel is based on the artist " Yusho Kaiho" who was active in the Azuchi-Momoyama period.

桃山時代活躍した絵師「海北友松」の小説 /  Yusho Kaiho's novel

この小説に頻繁に登場するのが、友松の師匠である狩野派を率いた「狩野永徳」。その永徳物語である「花鳥の夢」(山本兼一氏著)を連読した。絵師として同じ時代を生き闘った人生が克明に描かれている。異なる小説家によって、それぞれの力強い個性と絵師技倆が見事に表現されていた。

"Kano Eitoku," who heads the Kano school who is the teacher of Yusho, frequently appears in this novel. I read the story of the Eitoku story, "The Dream of Flowers and Birds" (written by Kenichi Yamamoto). As a painter, the life of fighting in the same era is clearly depicted. Different authors were able to express their powerful personality and artistry skillfully.

さらに、狩野永徳が、絵の大胆さや技倆に嫉妬したといわれている長谷川等伯を題材にした、安倍龍太郎氏の「等伯」を引き続き読んだ。

In addition, Eitoku Kano continued to read "Tohaku" by Ryutaro Abe, which is based on Tohaku Hasegawa, who is said to have been jealous of the boldness and skill of the painting.

長谷川等伯を題材にした小説 / novel for Tohaku Hasegawa

同じ時代に腕を振るった著名な絵師がそれぞれと深く関わり、その時の葛藤と嫉妬と強烈な個性を前面に押し出すその様相を、現代の作家が三者三様に巧みに表現されている。

Contemporary artists are skillfully represented by the three artists in a way that prominent painters who played their arms in the same era were deeply involved with each other, and the conflict, jealousy, and intense personality at that time were pushed forward.

当時のそれぞれの絵を、図鑑を通してであるが、観ながら小説を読んでいくとその時の臨場感や、絵を仕上げるまでの苦悩、闘い末の完成図がどのように表現されたかが目で確認でき、絵師の生き様が見えてくる。

Each picture at the time is through a pictorial book, but as you read the novel while watching it, you can see visually the feeling of reality, the anguish of finishing the picture, and how the final drawing after the battle was expressed. You can see the artist's way of life.

小説によって、その絵師像や当時の状況を想像し、また、図鑑を観ながら絵師技倆を目で観ることができた。

Through the novel, I was able to imagine the artist's image and the situation at the time, and I was able to see the artist's skill while watching the picture book.

戦国時代の戦火の中、残され継がれた絵が国宝として、重要文化財としていまの世で見ることができるのは無上の喜びである。今回、歴史上の人物を文字と絵で数倍楽しませてもらった気がする。

It is a joy to see the paintings that have been preserved and passed on during the war of the Warring States period as national treasures and important cultural properties in the present world. This time, I feel that people in history have been entertained several times with letters and pictures.

レポート & 写真 /  渡邉雄二

Reported & Photos by Yuji Watanabe