[Dragonfly] by Itō Jakuchū
Artist:Itō JakuchūEra:EdoPrice:SoldInquire:info@shirakuragallery.com
Sumi on silk. This delicate treatment of a dragonfly alighting on a chrysanthemum is the work of one of Japan’s most celebrated artists of the mid-Edo period. Itō Jakuchū was the eldest son of a merchant in the prosperous Nishiki district of Kyoto. At 40 he retired from the family business and spent several years observing details of nature—birds in particular—which he would later incorporate into his eccentric style of painting. Well respected as in his time, his experimental works were highly sought after and he accepted many commissions to paint screens for temples and shrines across Japan.