In the eighteenth century, a myriad of skilled painters flourished in the art scene of Kansai. Many of these painters belonged to the Kanō, Tosa, literati, Nagasaki, or Maruyama schools. Especially popular was the artist Maruyama Ōkyo (1733-1795), who was known for his shaseiga, or realistic sketches of nature. Ōkyo’s disciple Goshun (1752-1811) and his pupils later created the Shijō school (named after the location of their studio on Shijō avenue in Kyoto), which incorporated the artistic visions of shaseiga, while establishing a more accessible style that was enthusiastically welcomed by the merchant class.
Meanwhile, a distinctive art scene was also developing in the burgeoning merchant capital of Osaka. Many painters such as Mori Sosen (1747-1821) and Tetsuzan (1755-1841) of the Mori school, who studied with Ōkyo, while basing themselves in Osaka, continued to be influenced by painting trends in Kyoto. At the same time, the works of the Shijō painters, which could be enjoyed without knowledge of the classics or cultural refinement, spread to Osaka, where they gained great popularity.
The exhibition explores on the development of the art scene in Kansai, centered around the Maruyama and Shijō schools. The first half of the exhibition (from December 17, 2019 to February 2, 2020) introduces the works by Maruyama painters as well as by painters of other schools in Kyoto. The latter half of the exhibition (from February 4 to March 15, 2020) highlights the Shijō school as well as the trends of the art scene in Osaka, which blossomed separately from Kyoto while continuing to be influenced by the ancient capital.