Japanese Painters of the Momoyama Period (1573-1603)

The greatest painters in the Momoyama period were taught under a well-respected and artistic family. This is the Kano school of Japanese painters founded by Kano Motonobu (1476–1559).

The Kano family specialized in fusama paintings which were heavily decorated and lavish. These painting served to please the tastes of warriors in that period. The family was very closely associated with the royal palace such that they have provided for the many artworks found in there.

Kano Eitoku (1543–1590), Motonobu’s grandson, also served the palace by painting fusamas with landscapes and interior décor with an art form that was different from his predecessors. Brilliant colors including gold, were used by Eitoku.

Kano Tanyu (1602–1674), grandson of Eitoku, revived the school built by his great-grand father but, eventually, built his own school instead. He served in the Tokugawa government in the same manner that his ancestors did, by decorating the palaces. His most popular work was Confucius and Disciples which is now housed in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.