I think there is a very religious message in the work though. Considering his travels to China and his studies of it, I believe this work was influenced by Chinese Daoist thought. The reason being because it depicts nature with the mountains and the gently looking waterfall. Secondly, it portraits hermits in nature, away from society, and they seem to be having a great time. The hermits appear very character-like and the total opposite of natural. It seems as if they’re just gazing at the easy, flowing waterfall and comparing it to their lives as recluses, who are simply just going with the flow and not stressing about society. It also goes in hand with the indigenous belief system of Japan, Shinto because it’s also a belief that spiritualizes nature. Also, since the painting shows looming mountains, that may also represent
I think there is a very religious message in the work though. Considering his travels to China and his studies of it, I believe this work was influenced by Chinese Daoist thought. The reason being because it depicts nature with the mountains and the gently looking waterfall. Secondly, it portraits hermits in nature, away from society, and they seem to be having a great time. The hermits appear very character-like and the total opposite of natural. It seems as if they’re just gazing at the easy, flowing waterfall and comparing it to their lives as recluses, who are simply just going with the flow and not stressing about society. It also goes in hand with the indigenous belief system of Japan, Shinto because it’s also a belief that spiritualizes nature. Also, since the painting shows looming mountains, that may also represent