Letter to Tomioka Tessai, late 19th century, ?tagaki Rengetsu, Japanese, 1791 - 1875, 6 1/4 ¡Ñ 17 3/8 in. (15.88 ¡Ñ 44.13 cm) (image)41 3/16 ¡Ñ 24 1/8 in. (104.62 ¡Ñ 61.28 cm) (without roller), Ink on paper, Japan, Cursive script (s?sho), Open, rounded forms are characteristic of Rengetsu's style. Chinese characters (kanji) and Japanese syllables (kana) flow rapidly, mostly without lifting the brush. A Buddhist nun, Rengetsu has become a popular figure in the West¡Xshe lived through tragedy, losing two husbands and a child, and supported herself by making pottery and calligraphy. This letter, written in a free, informal style, is addressed to her friend, the painter Tomioka Tessai (1836¡V1924), who was becoming the most successful literati painter in Kyoto at that time.