A Portrait of Defeat He Carried for Life: The Secret of Ieyasu's Scowling Portrait
Why did Ieyasu commission a portrait of himself looking terrified after his crushing defeat at Mikatagahara? We unpack the philosophy behind Japan's most famous 'portrait of defeat.'
A deep read
After his crushing defeat at Mikatagahara, Ieyasu commissioned a portrait of his own terror-stricken face as a lifelong reminder against complacency. This ‘portrait of defeat’ became a symbol of his philosophy: learn from failure and never repeat it.
The scowling portrait reimagined as anime-style illustration