Ito Jakuchu’s Naturalist Paintings
From 15 September until 14 October 2018, the Petit Palais showcased the artist's iconic ‘Images of the Colourful Realm of Living Beings.’
Ito Jakuchu, ‘Nandina and Rooster’, Museum of the Imperial Collections (Sannomaru Shozokan), Tokyo, before 1765
Ito Jakuchu was passionate about painting from childhood. While at the Shokoku-ji Zen monastery in Kyoto, he devoted himself to this art, taking inspiration from paintings of flowers and birds from China from the Song dynasty (960-1279) and possibly also the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).
Parisians had the chance to discover his ultimate masterpiece on display at the Petit Palais, Images of the Colourful Realm of Living Beings (Doshoku Saie), comprised of thirty hanging scrolls and completed from 1757 and 1766, which this fervent Buddhist offered to Shokoku-ji temple in Kyoto, the imperial capital of Japan at the time. It’s a collection expressing the vital energy of flora and fauna and is testament to the genius of this self-taught artist.
The Colourful Realm of Living Beings, an exhibition of paintings by Ito Jakuchu, was held from 15 September to 14 October 2018 at the Petit Palais museum in Paris.
Ito Jakuchu, ‘Roses and Small Bird’, Museum of the Imperial Collections (Sannomaru Shozokan), Tokyo, before 1765
Ito Jakuchu, ‘Old Pine and White Phoenix’, Museum of the Imperial Collections (Sannomaru Shozokan), Tokyo, around 1766
Ito Jakuchu, ‘Shells’, Museum of the Imperial Collections (Sannomaru Shozokan), Tokyo, before 1765
Ito Jakuchu, ‘Bodhisattva Samantabhadra’, Shokoku-ji, Kyoto, before 1765
TRENDING
-
Paris, Tokyo: Robert Compagnon
With his co-chef and talented wife, Jessica Yang, Robert Compagnon opened one of the top new restaurants in Paris: Le Rigmarole.
3:31 -
‘It’s a sincere pleasure when the objects I make are recognised as part of the Mingei circle’
The brass cutlery meticulously shaped by Ruka Kikuchi in his Setouchi studio has earned admirers across Japan and beyond.
-
Always Shooting, Never Shot: Motohiro Hayakawa’s Fantasy Battlegrounds
In these colourful and cluttered paintings, mysterious landscapes teem with aliens, monsters, and the occasional human.
-
Inside the Heart of Japanese Fine Watchmaking, A Visit to the Grand Seiko Manufacture
These refined pieces are made in a Kengo Kuma–designed building, set in a natural environment that inspired their signature dial motifs.
-
The Tattoos that Marked the Criminals of the Edo Period
Traditional tattoos were strong signifiers; murderers had head tattoos, while theft might result in an arm tattoo.
