Landscape and Jurojin (God of Longevity)
Data
| Artist | By Ogata Korin |
|---|---|
| Period | Edo period, 18th century |
| Materials and techniques | Two faces of a round fan, ink on paper |
| Size | 24.3×24.0 |
Explanation
If Sotatsu was renowned painter of folding fans, Korin was one of round fans. Round fan, which originated in China was a conventional surface for paintings by the court painters along with toho (square paper). In medieval Japan, artists studying the Chinese Imperial Academy style paintings tried their hand on this new surface, and by the Genroku era (1688-1704) of the Edo period, round fans had become a part of the everyday life. It was such a time that gave birth to the fan painter, Korin.
In this fan, landscape is painted on the front in monochrome ink, the beautiful ink tones and the skillful brushstrokes displaying Korin’s talent and finesse. On the back is Jurojin, the God of Longevity, expressed as an easy-going figure in keeping with Korin’s style.