Studies on the works of the Tosa School

Research Project

Project/Area Number	06610053
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Fine art history
Research Institution	Setsunan University
Principal Investigator	IWAMA Kaori Setsunan University, Faculty of International Language and Culture, Assistant Professor, 国際言語文化学部, 助教授 (50258084)
Project Period (FY)	1994 – 1995
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 1995)
Budget Amount *help	¥1,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000) Fiscal Year 1995: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000) Fiscal Year 1994: ¥1,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000)
Keywords	The Tosa School / Yamato-e / The court painter / Edo period / 肖像画 / 粉本
Research Abstract	1. Compilation of a list of paintings of the Tosa School (1) From previous publications, catalogs of meseums, auction catalogs etc.a list of the Tosa School's paintings was compiled. Many of those pain tings were actually reviewed and studied in detail. (2) Based on the above-mentioned data the painting style was confirmed for each of the Tosa School of artists. I found that the portraits of Takuan Soei and Katsutada Kitami were painted by Mitsunori Tosa and portraits of several tea-masters were ascribable to Mitsuyoshi Tosa. 2. Studies on the "Kyoto Geidai Collection of Ground Paintings of the Tosa School" with referece to literatures (1) Studying ground paintings by the Tosa School's artists I found that successive chiefs of the Tosa School and Family associated with many doctors, scholors and merchants authorized by the Imperial Court, and that Mitsuyoshi Tosa had an intimacy with the House of Prince Katsura. (2) In the eras of Kansei and Ansei the Imperial Palace was reconstructed. I have found that for the reconstruction the Tosa Family playd an important role ; i) they assembled historical and artistic data for the reconstruction and presented them to the Imperial Court, and ii) they supervised painters recruited for the reconstruction. In the "Kyotogeidai Collection" copies were preserved for old scrolls assembled as data for the reconstruction.