Tanomura Chikuden

Tanomura Chikuden (Japanese田 能 村 竹田, also田 能 村 孝 宪, Tanomura Koken; * July 14, 1777 in Oka -han the province of Bungo, † October 20, 1835 in Osaka ) was one of the Nanga School, national Japanese painter in the Edo period.

Life and work

Originally Tanomura wanted to be a Confucian scholar. His training as a painter, he began first with a local painter, and then go to Master Tani Bunchō the Nanga School in Edo. There he learned the Bunjinga style of Nanga School. Once in his home province of peasant revolts broke out, he returned with the intent to settle the uprising peaceful. But his plan failed due to the fact that he could not persuade the local samurai to initiate reforms. This failure led but to the fact that he began to devote himself completely to art from then on. Tanomuras style is characterized by melancholy contemplation of landscapes, birds and flowers. In addition to his painting Tanomura also wrote books on art Nanga School as sanchūjin jōzetsu (山 中人 饶舌).