Nihonga
CrowSigned: Gekkô
Seals: Kakô .. i
Technique: sumi on paper 129.5 x 30
Mounting: green damask 192 x 42
Condition: lightly concave
Like a true Japanese style painter, Gekkô successfully achieved a wonderful mixture of everything, and apart from Ukiyo-e and Nanga, he also included a lot of Shijô style elements in his work.
In his early career Gekkô decorated rickshaws, and he designed and painted lacquer ware and chinaware for export. He was a self-taught Japanese style painter, printmaker, illustrator, and decorator of pottery and lacquer, influenced by the style of Kikuchi Yôsai (1788-1878). His skills were discovered by Kawanabe Kyôsai (1831-1889), after which he started a career as an illustrator for papers and magazines. In 1885 he exhibited a painting in the first exhibition of the Art association Kanga-kai. In the 1890s Mizuno Toshikata (1866-1908) and Gekkô shared the popularity and fame of being the leading illustrators of their day.
He was also a founding member of the Bunten and a frequent prize winner at its exhibitions. After his American debut in 1893 with a painting in the world exhibition in Columbia, he won a gold medal at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904 with a selection from his print series: "100 views of Mount Fuji".
Reference:
Roberts p. 123
Merritt p.115
Araki p. 319
Price: ON REQUEST
