Tanomura Chikuden

Detail of Boating on the Inagawa river (1829).

Tanomura Chikuden (July 14, 1777 - October 20, 1835) was a Japanese painter of the Edo period. He is known for his depictions of nature, often melancholic in style.

Biography

Tanomura Chikuden was born in July 14, 1777 in Bungo Province, Japan. He died on October 20, 1835 in Ōsaka, Japan. In the beginning of his lifetime, he had been planning on being a scholar of Confucius. As a young man, he also was interested in painting. He was able to study under a local painter from his area. He then became more interested in painting and then became a student of the bunjin-ga painter Tani Bunchō. He dedicated a part of his life to seeking reform from the lords in which he lived under. There had been rebellions and uprisings in order to try to persuade the reforms. He eventually decided to retire and focus his attention onto painting. This is when he was able to truly develop his own personal style of painting.

Career

Tanomura Chikuden developed his style in a way that emphasized his gentle strokes and melancholy tone. His artwork usually included the subject matter of flowers, birds, and landscapes. He was aso able to write works on the Nan-ga school, of which the Sanchūjin jōzetsu or the The Recluse’s Tattle is also known. His artwork that is concentrated on landscapes is also recorded to be layered.

External links

• Bridge of dreams: the Mary Griggs Burke collection of Japanese art, a catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Tanomura Chikuden (see index)