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Ito Jakuchu — Colorful Realm of Living Beings (Doshoku Sai-e, c. 1757–1766)

Doshoku Sai-e (動植綵絵), c. 1757–1766, by Ito Jakuchu (1716–1800). 30 hanging scrolls; mineral pigments on silk; each ~142 x 79 cm. Imperial Household Agency (on loan to Shokokuji, Kyoto). The most elaborate Edo-period nature painting cycle.

Scholarly Significance

Introduce Ito Jakuchu's Colorful Realm — a major Edo-period monument combining Buddhist devotion and extreme naturalistic observation.

Notes

  • ·Self-commissioned by Jakuchu as a devotional offering to Shokokuji temple where his family grave was located.
  • ·Jakuchu's work was largely forgotten after his death and rediscovered in the 20th century.