About "Birds, insects, flowers and plants"
A diptych, color on silk (96×33㎝ / 175×41㎝)
Both Shiba Kokan and Kamuraki Baikei are painters trained in the Nagasaki school and at one time both of them lived around Hamamatsu-cho, so it is easily imagined that they knew each other. This pair of works by the two each vividly depicts creatures near watersides. Breathtaking details in bright colors are the characteristics of the Nagasaki school, but what amazes the viewer is the shrewd sense of observation. Look at the dancing butterfly or the mantis hiding quietly that are so realistically painted, whether their legs, antenna or wings. These persistently realistic pictures show the strong passion to master the latest trend brought from the continent as well as their rivalry.
About "Shiba Kōkan"
Shiba Kōkan, born Andō Kichirō (安藤吉次郎), was a Japanese painter of the late Edo period, famous for his Western-style yōga paintings. He studied under Suzuki Harunobu, but influenced by Hiraga Gennai, switched to Western-style paintings. He became the first Japanese artist to create copperplate prints, but left behind many oil paintings as well. Shiba Kōkan was also engaged in the field of Western astronomy and geography.
About "Kaburagi Baikei"
Kaburagi Baikei was a middle-late Edo period painter. He was born in Hizen Province (an old province of Japan in the area of Saga and Nagasaki prefectures). He studied under Araki Genyu, a karae mekiki (Chinese painting connoisseur), and learned the painting style of Shen Nanpin. Kaburagi Baikei then became a painter of Ōmura Domain and moved to Edo. He resided in Shiba Hamamatsu-cho where he adopted Ichikawa Kansai’s second son Yoshitane (Untan). Kaburagi Baikei is famous for his detailed paintings of flowers and birds.
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Kashima Arts Co., Ltd.
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