Kano Painters of the Momoyama Period: Eitoku’s Legacy

Kyoto National Museum

[Image: Chinese Lion, by Kano Sanraku (1559–1635). Four-panel folding screen; ink, colors, and gold on paper. Honpō-ji Temple, Kyoto.]

This event has ended.

2015 marks the 400th anniversary of the 1615 Siege of Osaka, after which the reins of Japanese political power transferred from the Toyotomi clan to the Tokugawa, changing the course of history for centuries to follow. During this time of political upheaval, not only warlords but also artists were engaging in cutthroat strategic competition for survival. The Kano school of painters, which had hitherto maintained close relations with political authorities, faced their greatest crisis ever in this turbulent age. The sudden death of their leader Kano Eitoku (1543–1590), the emergence of rival painter Hasegawa Tōhaku (1539–1610), and a shifting political landscape made this one of the most precarious situations the Kano school had ever faced, and one requiring tough decisions by its artists.

This exhibition focuses on the years following Eitoku’s death, centering around the Keichō era (1596–1615). Featuring painted masterworks by Eitoku’s successors, it traces the changes in aesthetic tastes from bold dynamism to lavish splendor, and eventually to the restrained chic favored by Tokugawa rulers.

How did the Kano manage to hold their ground and even boost their standing as official painters to the Edo shogunate in the midst of such massive upheaval? In this special exhibition, the history of the Kano school’s existential fight is elucidated through brilliant works of art, along with explanations of their historical contexts and of the various figures with whom they were associated.

[Related Event]
Commemorative Lecture “Supporting the Kano School Painters of the Momoyama Era!!” (in Japanese)
Speakers: Yuji Yamashita (Meiji Gakuin University Professor, League of Japanese Art Supporters Leader), Arata Iura (actor, Kyoto National Museum Cultural Ambassador, League of Japanese Art Supporter Member #3), Hideo Yamamoto (Kyoto National Museum Researcher)
Date: Apr. 11 (Sat) 13:30–15:00
Audience: 200
Admission: Free with purchase of exhibition ticket
Please see the official website for details.