trending ! Learn More: Kōrin Ogata, His Life and Works

Published in the third printing, early April 2013. With cover, no obi. The cover has slight scratches, but otherwise, it is in exceptionally good condition. Price: 1760 yen (tax included).

This is a attractive art book that introduces the tumultuous 59-year life and works of Ogata Korin, who was born half a century after the appearance of the genius Sotatsu and later established and deepened the style known across the globe as the Rinpa school.

It features a lot of masterpieces, including "Irises," "Wind God and Thunder God," and "Red and White Plum Blossoms," allowing readers to luxuriate in the elegant beauty. It also sheds light on Korin's human side and footsteps from various angles, including his studies of the Kano school in his youth, how he absorbed Sotatsu and developed his own style, his encounters with the ink wash painting world of Sesshu and Sesson, and his brother Kenzan, who collaborated with him with different talents.

(Excerpt)
Ogata Korin brought forth gorgeous decorative paintings that represent the Edo period, and the splendor of the art he left behind is already well-established. The beauty and high artistry of "Yatsuhashi Maki-e Suzuribako (14 pages)," "Irises (18 pages)," and "Red and White Plum Blossoms (64 pages)" can be reconfirmed in this book. As mentioned on page 67, various scientific verifications are being conducted in the art history world regarding the gold leaf of "Red and White Plum Blossoms," and it is gradually being elucidated.

Korin received high praise from the Edo period, but art lovers abroad have been paying attention to Korin's design sense since the Meiji era. The fact that masterpieces such as the "Matsushima Screen (43 pages)" in the British Museum and the "Yatsuhashi Screen (56 pages)" in the Metropolitan Museum of Art were exported overseas suggests that he was highly regarded as a decorator and artist in the Genroku era. I feel that the high evaluation abroad led to greater interest in Korin's originality and the unconventionality of his designs that transcend time, which in turn led to even higher evaluations in Japan.

From page 50, the book examines the collaborative works with his brother Kenzan. There is an image of Korin as a spendthrift and profligate brother, and Kenzan as a steady brother, so I understand that the differences in the brothers' artistic sensibilities stemmed from their different personalities.

It is all in color, and the explanations are hassle-no-cost to understand and thorough. Since you can also follow the establishment of his artistic career through the process of copying the works of Sesshu, Sesson, and Sotatsu, as well as the realm Korin aimed for, it will be a valuable book for Rinpa fans.

Books
I have other items for sale, so please take a look if you'd prefer.