'Pheasants and Peonies' by Imao Keinen, 1890. This image is also available on:
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Kacho-ga, or in English 'bird-and-flower painting', is an ancient art form that dates back to Tang dynasty China (ca. 10th century). It was imported to Japan in the 14th century, and from there became a staple of Japanese art, being one of the main styles of the Kano school which dominated the art scene during the Tokugawa period (1600 - 1868). The Tokugawa Shoguns were fond of falconry, and often commissioned portraits not only of their of their hunting birds, but also the ducks, quails, etc. that they hunted. By the 18th century kacho-ga was so popular that local artists were failing to satisfy demand, and the eighth Tokugawa Shogun, Yoshimune, invited Chinese master painters to come and set up schools in Japan. The most influential of these was the Nanpin school, which was founded in Nagasaki.
By Imao Keinen's time the genre of kacho-ga was falling out of fashion slightly, although not out of popularity. The late 19th century was a time of immense change in Japan as the country opened up to the West after centuries of isolation, and Japan was bursting with Western fashions (while simultaneously an explosion of interest in Japan was influencing European art). Yet still, there is a timelessness to the pairing of birds and flowers, and it remained in demand. This pheasant and peony composition was painted on a silk scroll, intended for wall hanging. Imao Keinen had a broad artistic education, and the painting has a thousand years of tradition behind it, but it's clearly most influenced by the Nanpin School. Yet Imao Keinen's own style did reflect the times. In the coloring and shading of the peonies, and the way the pheasant is presented turning round rather than in profile to make it seem more three-dimensional, it shows the influence of the Western techniques sweeping Japan at the time.
Traditional Chinese bird-and-flower painting was laden with symbolism. While Japanese artists did not necessarily include the same level of subtext, the choice of peonies is interesting, as they were considered an emblem of royalty, or high rank and honor. While this example was probably not produced for the palace, it was on the basis of work like this that Imao Keinen was later given commissions for the Imperial household. Truly, art fit for an Emperor.
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