Tosa school

The Tosa school ( Japanese 土佐派 , Tosa-ha ) of Japanese painting , named after the artist family Tosa, developed from the tradition of Yamato-e , but also took over stylistic elements of the Kanō school .

overview

Mitsunaga: From "Ban Dainagon"

Mitsunobu: Momonoi Naoaki

The Tosa family of artists dates back to the 12th century, but it wasn't until the 15th century that they began to appear under this name. It is not always clear whether the successor is a biological son or a student who has been adopted because of his talents. The family tradition only ended with the Meiji Restoration . Committed to Yamato-e, the Tosa School is the second important school alongside the - even more branched out - Kanō School, which painted for the court and the Shogunate. The most important representatives are Mitsunaga, Mitsunobu and Mitsuoki, the "three brushes of the Tosa school".

genealogy

Tokiwa (Fujiwara no) Mitsunaga ( 常盤・藤原の光長 ); active around 1173). He is said to have been the Fujiwara-no-Takachika, otherwise little is known about his life, and no work can be ascribed to him beyond doubt. The vivacity of his characters is praised, as is his ability to paint large groups in action. a good example is the large picture scroll "Ban Dainagon" ( 伴大納言 ) from the Sakai collection.
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Tosa Yukihiro ( 土佐行広 ); active 1406-1434). According to the "Diary of Noritoki" ( 教言卿記 , Noritokikyō-ki), which appeared in 1405, Yukihiro was the first to use the name "Tosa". He mainly worked for the shogunate. Yukihiro was one of the six painters who created the picture scroll "Yūzū nembutsu engi emaki" ( 融通念仏縁起絵巻 ).
- Tosa Hirochika ( 土佐広周 ; circa 1439–1492). Also called Hirokata. It is widely believed that he was the son of the Yukihiro.
  - Tosa Mitsuhiro ( 土佐光弘 ); active 1430–1445), son of Yukihiro.
    - Tosa Mitsunobu ( 土佐光信 ; 1434–1525). Son of Mitsuhiro? He is the first important representative of the school in the narrower sense. He was the official painter of the imperial court in Kyoto (Kyūtei e-dokoro azukari). At first he was registered under the name Fujiwara, but appears as Tosa from the Bummei era (1469-87). Mitsunobu, who also painted for the shogunate, left an impressive number of works.
      - Tosa Mitsuhisa ( 土佐光久 ; active 1532–1555}. Daughter of Mitsunobu, known for her illustrations of the Genji Monogatari .
      - Tosa Mitsushige or Mitsumochi ( 土佐光茂 ; c. 1496–1559}. Son of Mitsunobu.
        Tosa Mitsumoto ( 土佐光元 ; active 1530–1569}. Elder son of Mitsushige, he died in a battle during the attack by Toyotomi Hideyoshi on the Tajima province .
      - Tosa Mitsuyoshi ( 土佐光吉 ; 1539–1613). Younger son of Mitsunobu, also known as Kyūyoku ( 久翌 ). He took over the Tosa School from Mitsumoto and eventually became a priest in Sakai .
        Tosa Mitsunori ( 土佐光則 ; 1583–1638). Son of Mitsuyoshi.
        Tosa Mitsuoki ( 土佐光起 ; 1617–1691). Son of Mitsunori. Versatile, he is also known for his netsuke , which he made under the name Shūzan ( 周山 ). He took over the strong brushstrokes and the large format from the Kanō school, and also took influences from the Chinese realistic painting of the Ming and Qing periods . In 1681 he became a priest and left his office as E-dokoro Azukari to his son Mitsunari.
        
        Tosa Mitsunari ( 土佐光成 ; 1646–1710). Son of Mitsuoki.
        Tosa Mitsusuke ( 土佐光祐 ; 1675–1710). Son of Mitsunari.
        Tosa Mitsuyoshi ( 土佐光芳 ; 1700–1772). Son of Mitsusuke.
        
        Tosa Mitsuatsu ( 土佐光淳 ; 1734–1764). Mitsuyoshi's eldest son.
        
        Tosa Mitsusada ( 土佐光貞 ; 1738–1806). Second son of Mitsuyoshi.
        Tosa Mitsuzane ( 土佐光孚 ; 1780-1852). Son of Mitsusada.
        
        Tosa Mitsukiyo ( 土佐光清 ; 1808–1862). Son of Mitsuzane.
        
        Tosa Mitsubumi ( 土佐光文 ; 1812–1879). Second son of Mitsuzane.
        Tosa Mitsuaki ( 土佐光章 ; 1848–1875). Son of Mitsubumi.
        
        Tosa Mitsuchika ( 土佐光親 ;? –1725). Son of Mitsuoki.

Examples

Mitsuoki: Murasaki Shikibu in Ishiyama-dera
Hirokata / Hirochika:
"Heavenly Cattle Herd "
(Berlin)
Mitsumochi:
Ashikaga Yoshiharu
Mitsuyoshi:
Ashikaga Yoshiteru
Mitsushige:
From Dōjō-ji engi emaki

Individual evidence

↑ Now in the Idemitsu Art Museum , National Treasure .

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u Laurence P. Roberts: A Dictionary of Japanese Artists. Weatherhill, 1976. ISBN 0-8348-0113-2 .

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Tazawa, Y .: Biographical Dictionary of Japanese Art. Kodansha International, 1981. ISBN 0-87011-488-3 .

Web links

Commons : Paintings from the Tosa School - collection of images, videos and audio files

[1] Now in the Idemitsu Art Museum , National Treasure .

[Tosa-2] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u Laurence P. Roberts: A Dictionary of Japanese Artists. Weatherhill, 1976. ISBN 0-8348-0113-2 .

[Tazawa-3] Tazawa, Y .: Biographical Dictionary of Japanese Art. Kodansha International, 1981. ISBN 0-87011-488-3 .