Nanga
Landscape in the style of the Mi familySigned: Katei
Seals: Katei, unread (tp), (Ketsukan) Kekkan bokuen (bt)
Technique: sumi on satin 129,4 x 50,4
Date: summer of 1886
Mounting: blue damask 211 x 66,2
Condition: very good
The Mi family: Famous Song painters Mi Fu (1051-1107) and his son Mi Youren 1086-1165).
Katei became one of the most popular Nanga artists in the Meiji period.
Katei was the son of a samurai who lived in Edo where he studied with the Nagasaki style painter Ôoka Umpô (1765-1848) and Sakamoto Konen (dates unknown). During his travels at the age of 21 he went to Nagasaki to study Chinese painting with Hidaka Tetsuô (1791-1871) and with a number of Chinese Painters. After staying in Nagasaki for half a year he moved back to Tokyo. From there he moved to Northern Japan, keeping away from the fight for power between Edo and Kyoto for ten years.
His paintings were shown in the Vienna Exposition of 1873. And to show his importance in 1893 Katei was made an Artist of the Imperial Household.
Reference:
Roberts p. 171
Araki p. 1179;
NB 9-17 # 62, 63
Gitter-Yelen # 51
Price: SOLD
