Landscape in the Manner of Ni Zan, second half 19th century, Yamanaka Shinten'ō, Japanese, 1822 - 1885, 51 5/16 × 16 3/16 in. (130.33 × 41.12 cm) (image)77 15/16 × 21 3/8 in. (197.96 × 54.29 cm) (mount, without roller), Hanging scroll; ink on satin, Japan, 19th century, The title of Yamanaka Shintenōs work is reflected in the empty pavilion and the distancing of the background from the foreground, characteristics associated with the work of Ni Zan, however, the playful brushwork is the artists own. The inscription is ambiguous; perhaps Shintenō is congratulating himself for retaining his own style despite his comprehensive knowledge of classical Chinese painting; perhaps it is a lament for the perceived fall of nanga into stale academicism that occurred again and again through history.