Japan Art: Deer and Nature
Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The stunning art of the deer above is by Nakamura Hochu. He was born in the eighteenth century and died in 1819. However, little is known about the life of Nakamura Hochu – apart from his love of rinpa (rimpa) art, deep adoration of Ogata Korin, and being born in the region of Kansai.
The RISD Museum says, “When the Korin gafu was first printed in 1802, artists painting in Ogata Korin’s style had all but vanished. Hochu’s work is unique in its innovative merging of the Rimpa painting style with new subject matter and the woodblock printing techniques of the ehon (printed picture book) tradition.”
Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942) produced the delightful art piece above. He entailed that the world of rinpa (rimpa) art would reach future generations concerning his atmospheric and independent approach to the world of rinpa art.
It is difficult to imagine that Kamisaka Sekka came from a samurai family. This concerns people from outside of Japan. However, many famous samurai warriors supported the arts and high culture.
The final art is by Ohara Koson (1877-1945). He is a highly acclaimed Kacho-ga artist. This refers to art themes focused on birds and flowers. However, he also produced exquisite art of animals and lovely landscapes.
The Toledo Museum says, “Ohara Koson was a master of the kacho-ga print—images of the natural world, but particularly of birds and flowers… Koson’s aim was to balance a naturalistic portrayal of his subjects with a decorative sensibility—and a desire to convey the spirit of the birds he depicted.”
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