Landscapes by I Fukyū and Ike no Taiga - Kan Tenjū

A woodblock print page from the 1753 manual 'I Fukyū Ike Taiga sansui gafu', featuring classical calligraphy by Kan Tenjū.

This woodblock print page originates from the 'I Fukyū Ike Taiga sansui gafu', a collection published in 1753. The work serves as a manual for aspiring artists, presenting the techniques and stylistic approaches of the Chinese painter Yi Fujiu and the Japanese Bunjinga master Ike no Taiga. Kan Tenjū, the compiler, curated these examples to provide a structured guide for those studying the literati style of painting.

The text displayed is a preface written in classical Chinese characters, known as kanji. The calligraphy exhibits a disciplined, balanced hand, typical of the mid-Edo period. The characters are arranged within a traditional grid, maintaining a clear vertical flow that is characteristic of Japanese book design from this era. The woodblock printing process allows for the sharp, clean edges of the ink strokes, preserving the nuances of the original brushwork.

Bunjinga, or literati painting, was a movement that drew inspiration from Chinese scholar-painters. It prioritised personal expression and the cultivation of the artist's inner character over strict adherence to academic realism. By compiling this manual, Kan Tenjū sought to disseminate these aesthetic principles to a wider audience of students and enthusiasts. The inclusion of works by both a Chinese master and a contemporary Japanese practitioner demonstrates the cross-cultural exchange that defined the Bunjinga movement. This print is a document of the pedagogical methods used in eighteenth-century Japan, offering a glimpse into the transmission of artistic knowledge during a period of significant cultural development.