Nanga
LandscapeSigned: Kagen
Seals: Zensai toga
Technique: colours on silk 82,1 x 32,7
Mounting: beige damask 150 x 46
Condition: near fine
Kagen was born in Nagoya, a samurai in the service of the Owari Takenaka family.
At the age of twenty he went to Kyoto to study Kokugaku (National studies). He became an intimate friend with Ike no Taiga (1723-76), but he must also have been influenced by the shaseiga (drawing after nature) way of painting of Maruyama Ôkyo (1733-95). In 1770 he made the trip back to Nagoya, where in 1776 he joined the Ôbaku Zen-monk Unga Genjun (1699-1788) to study Chinese painting. This gave him the reputation of being the founder of the Nanga School in Nagoya. It is said that he was the first teacher of Chikutô when he was a child.
Few remaining works are known (Roberts).
Reference:
Roberts p. 63
Araki p. 2400, 2639
Mitchell p. 78,
Clark ‘01 100 views of Mount Fuji p. 29
Price: ON REQUEST
