Social and stylistic analysis on the appreciation of Rimpa school works in the Edo era

• Project/Area Number: 18520096
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Aesthetics/Art history
• Research Institution: Jissen Women's University
• Principal Investigator: NAKAMACHI Keiko Jissen Women's University, the faculty of literature, professor (80141125)
• Project Period (FY): 2006 – 2007
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2007)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2007: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2006: ¥2,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,600,000)
• Keywords: Tawaraya Sotatsu / Ogata Korin / Sakai Hoitsu / Rimpa school / History of receptiveness / patron / Yamato-e theme / aristocratic culture / 注文主 / 大和絵主題 / 公家文化 / 尾形乾山 / 受容者 / 琳派学習 / 売立目録 / 住吉家古画留帳

Research Abstract

I consider the circumstances in which works by Sotatsu, Korin and Hoitsu were viewed and appreciated in the Edo period, along with the strata of society to which their patrons belonged, whether warrior, aristocratic, or commoner, the intention behind orders by patrons, the social status of the artists, economical or political background of production, and the development of the urban culture in which artistic pieces were admired. Those are also crucial factors which influenced stylistic features themselves of the works. In consequence I intend to clear the function of the Rimpa works in Edo society-working in a society that valued ancient Chinese imagery so highly, what is the significance of Rimpa in Edo Japan, which employed a sophisticated Japanese taste?.
Major patrons of Sotatsu, active in the former half of 17^<th> century Kyoto as a painter from merchant class, were members from the urban commoner and aristocratic classes from Kyoto-Osaka area. But in the Genroku era (1688-1704), the great merchant families and court nobles who had served as Sotatsu's patron, could no longer afford to commission artists like Korin to paint large-scale gilt screens. Korin, born in Kyoto as a son of wealthy townsman, had to travel to Edo to find new patrons among warrior class. Most of Korin's well-known screens belonged to prominent daimyo families. Hoitsu, active in the early 19^<th> century Edo, himself was a member of daimyo family. Among the Hoitsu's patron, other than the upper-classed samurai, were many middle class merchants lived in local towns of Edo. It is characteristic of Rimpa school that continual changes occurred in the social environment throughout Edo period reflected the state of painters and patrons.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Ogata Korin (2008)
  • Author(s): NAKAMACHI, Keiko
  • Journal Title: Tokyo bijutsu
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
• [Book] 尾形光琳 (2008)
  • Author(s): 仲町啓子
  • Total Pages: 80
  • Publisher: 東京美術
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より