Rimpa - 400 years after

Kyoto tourist bureau seems to be busy selling the 400th anniversary of beginning of Rimpa school of Japanese painting. I think I first heard the term late last year or early this year.

But term Rimpa was coined only after 300 years of its birth, and term is still not so clear cut. It is usually considered that lineage encompasses of the 1st generation of Tawaraya Sotatsu and Hon'ami Koetsu in early 17th century Kyoto, the 2nd generation of Ogata Korin in early 18th century Kyoto, the 3rd generation of Sakai Hoitsu in early 19th century Edo(modern Tokyo), and continuing to this day. They are not family-run business, nor catering to the imperial court or shogun. They painted for merchant classes in Kyoto and later in Edo, and they chose Japanese theme as subject. They lived in different era so they had no direct contact, but they learned by first imitating the masterpieces of the bygone era, and recreating masterpieces with their own twist.

The era somehow overlapped with the other well known paintings of Ukiyo-e. Both Rimpa and Ukioyo-e were similar in its nature that they didn't serve the official matters of the imperial court or shogun. I hear that Rimpa and Ukiyo-e were rock'n roll kind of sort in their days.

I watched the short television program that the modern day Rimpa painting can be found at Enkou-ji temple in north east of Kyoto, and ventured there in the wet and cold winter day.

Enkou-ji is Zen temple from the early 17th century, and not outstanding among Kyoto's other famous tourist temples. But it could be jammed in autumn foliage season. But it is deserted in the winter day. It makes the perfect setting for Zen temple visit.

Honryutei dry landscape garden, 15-Feb-2015

Painting by Maruyama Oukyo, the realism painter from the late 18th century Kyoto, is housed in the building behind this Zen garden. The subject of the painting is bamboo forest inside the Enkou-ji premises.

Bamboo forest that Maruyama Oukyo might have got inspiration, 15-Feb-2015

Tomioka Tessai's painting from the late 19th century, 15-Feb-2015

Aside from paintings of Maruyama Oukyo and modern Rimpa painter Mr. Watanabe, painting of Tomioka Tessai is on display. But honestly I don't know much of painters. Just I feel that these are different from the European paintings, and nowadays I feel more at ease with these.

Modern Rimpa lineage titled four seasons of plants and flowers, 15-Feb-2015

The river design is reminiscent of Ogata Korin.

Modern Rimpa in close-up, 15-Feb-2015

The title is four season. I can see spring and autumn, but not sure of summer and winter. Anyway, it is splendid.