A World of Edo Art
Itō Jakuchū (1716–1800) was the son of a vegetable merchant who leased stalls to farmers in the Nishikidōri food markets (which are still thriving today). Jakuchū retired from his family business at age forty to devote his life to painting, not for commissions or profit but as a passionate and religious pursuit. He was a devout Zen practitioner, and he developed a unique style of painting closely associated with his Zen beliefs and his ferocious habit of observing nature to try to capture its inner vitality. In the process, he created some of the most unforgettable bird and flower paintings in East Asian history. In 2012, the Smithsonian's National Gallery of Art hosted an exhibit titled Colorful Realm: Japanese Bird and Flower Paintings by Itō Jakuchū, which displayed his thirty-scroll set of bird and flower paintings.
