Ogata Korin

Key facts

Lived

1658–1716, Japanese

Movement

• Art Nouveau

1. 1658Born in Kyoto into a prosperous merchant family. His father Soken ran Kariganeya, a fabric store supplying kimonos to the imperial court, and the family was related to the calligrapher Hon'ami Koetsu.
2. 1675Studied painting under Yamamoto Soken of the Kano school in Kyoto as a teenager, learning both Chinese-style ink painting and traditional Tosa school techniques. He spent his youth living extravagantly on the family fortune.
3. 1697Established himself as a professional painter in Kyoto at age 39, having exhausted the family inheritance through his lavish lifestyle. This marked the start of his serious artistic career.
4. 1701Received the honorary rank of hokkyō at age 43 in Kyoto, a Buddhist title awarded to accomplished artists. This confirmed his standing as one of the leading painters of his generation.
5. 1704Moved from Kyoto to Edo (Tokyo) at age 46, beginning a six-year period working in the capital. He produced major commissions for wealthy patrons and the warrior class during this time.
6. 1711Returned to Kyoto at age 53, entering the most accomplished phase of his career. He produced his greatest screen paintings during these final years, including Irises and Red and White Plum Blossoms, both later designated National Treasures.
7. 1716Died on 20 July in Kyoto at the age of 58. His pupils and followers would carry on his decorative style, which eventually became known as the Rinpa school.

• What should I know about Ogata Korin's prints?+

  Ogata Korin (1658-1716) was a Japanese artist best known for his paintings, lacquerware, and textile designs. While not primarily a printmaker, his designs were adapted into woodblock prints, a process common in the Edo period. The production of a print usually began with a publisher who identified a commercial opportunity. The publisher would commission an artist, like Korin, to create a design. The artist would produce a sketch and discuss details, such as colour choices, with the publisher. The publisher then oversaw production, employing engravers and printers. The artist's direct involvement in the printmaking was minimal. Japanese woodblock prints have certain formal characteristics. Most, with the exception of *shunga*, feature a signature, usually on the lower left or right. Signatures include a personal name and a name given when the artist entered a studio as an apprentice. Publishers' marks are also common, except in *shunga* and *surimono*, and are generally located near the signature. From 1790, censorship seals were required on most prints, except private publications. Japanese paper is susceptible to humidity, and pigments can fade if exposed to bright light. Prints should be stored interleaved with acid-free tissue in a drawer or box, and should not be hung in direct sunlight or near heat sources.
• What style or movement did Ogata Korin belong to?+

  Ogata Korin (1658-1716) was a Japanese artist of the Edo period. He is now considered one of the most important figures in the Rinpa school. This movement began in Kyoto in the early Edo period. It drew inspiration from classical Japanese literature, and celebrated nature, but in a stylised, decorative way. Korin's style is characterised by bold designs, simplified natural motifs, and use of luxurious materials like gold leaf. Rinpa artists often worked collaboratively, with different artists contributing to different stages of a work. Korin's work encompassed painting, lacquerware, and textile design. He aimed to integrate every detail of a space into a single style, blurring any distinction between fine and decorative arts. Art Nouveau, which emerged in the West in the late 19th century, shared a similar goal.
• What techniques or materials did Ogata Korin use?+

  Ogata Korin (1658-1716) came from a family of textile merchants. He was a painter and lacquer designer who worked in the manner of Koetsu. Korin initially studied under Kano Yasunobu and Sumiyoshi Gukei. He was also influenced by Koetsu and Sotatsu. Korin used gold and silver paste to add decoration to paintings. He sometimes mixed gold paste with wet ink to achieve a pleasing effect. Korin painted figures, flowers, birds, and also what might now be called landscapes, using bold brushstrokes. He was particularly fond of painting flowers. Korin's techniques are evident in a pair of two-panel folding screens. These depict red and white blossoming plum trees separated by a stream. He reduced the motifs to a minimum, creating a dramatic contrast of forms and visual textures. The images show slender branches, gnarled tree trunks, and an undulating stream. Korin employed mixed viewpoints, showing the stream from above but the trees from ground level.
• What was Ogata Korin known for?+

  Ogata Korin (1658-1716) was a painter and designer of lacquerware, known for decorative pictures. Born the son of a textile merchant, Korin was a painter first, but he also designed lacquers in the style of Koetsu. Korin initially studied under Kano Yasunobu and Sumiyoshi Gukei. However, he owed the greatest debt to Koetsu and Sotatsu. Korin developed his own style, notable for its originality. He often used gold and silver paste to add decorative effects to his paintings. When painting in ink, he sometimes mixed gold paste with wet ink to achieve a pleasing effect. Korin painted figures, flowers, birds, and what some might call "landscapes" with confident brushstrokes; he was particularly fond of painting flowers. His "Waves at Matsushima" screen, now at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, shows delicate lines and foam shapes. Another noted work is a pair of two-panel screens depicting red and white blossoming plum trees separated by a stream. Korin reduced motifs to a minimum, creating a dramatic contrast of forms and visual textures. He mixed viewpoints, depicting the stream as seen from above, but the trees from ground level.
• When did Ogata Korin live and work?+

  Unfortunately, the provided texts do not contain information about the lifespan of Ogata Korin. However, they do provide details about other Japanese print artists and their works during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. For example, they mention Koryūsai, who was active from around 1771 to 1790, and whose last known print was published around 1790. The passages also list various publishers, print series, and subjects of prints from this period, such as courtesans, actors, and scenes from daily life. These prints were published in formats like ōban, chūban and hosoban. Some prints are part of series like "Treasury of Loyal Retainers" and "Famous Places in Edo". The texts also mention specific locations depicted in the prints, like Kameido and Enoshima. Without more information, I cannot provide a specific answer about Ogata Korin's dates of activity.
• Where can I see Ogata Korin's work?+

  Ogata Korin (1653-1716) was a Japanese artist of the Genroku Era (1688-1703). He is known for decorative pictures, often employing gold and silver. To view his work, consider visiting museums with collections of Japanese art. The Tokyo National Museum has a collection comprising 14,000 prints. This originated partly from the collection of Henri Vever, bought in 1921 by Matsukata Kojiro and presented to the museum. The museum's catalogue includes 112 surimono. Other museums include the Musée Guimet in Paris, the Chester Beatty Library and Gallery of Oriental Art in Dublin, the Ota Memorial Museum of Art in Tokyo, the Hiraki Ukiyo-e Museum in Yokohama, the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Some works by Korin are in private collections. A pair of folding screens is owned by Count Tsugaru of Tokyo. Other private collections include those of Mr Tamaki Makita, and Mr Takashi Masuda.
• Where was Ogata Korin from?+

  Ogata Korin (1658-1716) came from a family of textile merchants. He was active during the Genroku Era (1688-1703), a time of luxury for commoners in the Yedo Period. Korin initially studied under Kanō Yasunobu and Sumiyoshi Gukei. He was also influenced by Kōetsu and Sōtatsu. He developed an original style, particularly within decorative painting. Korin used gold and silver paste to create effects. When working in ink, he sometimes mixed gold paste with wet ink. Korin painted figures, flowers, birds, and landscapes. He was known for flower painting and left behind many masterpieces. One example is a pair of folding screens depicting red and white plum trees; these are separated by a stream. Another work attributed to Korin is Waves at Matsushima, a six-panel folding screen that uses ink, colours, and gold on paper.
• Who is ogata korin?+

  Ogata Korin, who lived from 1658 to 1716, was a Japanese artist of eccentric genius. He had several pseudonyms, including Hōshuku and Jakumei, and he studied under Kanō Yasunobu and Sumiyoshi Gukei.
• Who was Ogata Korin?+

  Ogata Korin (1658-1716) was a painter and designer of lacquers. Born the son of a textile merchant, Korin is considered among the most important artists of the Genroku Era (1688-1703). Korin’s artistic style owes a debt to Honami Koetsu (1558-1637) and Sotatsu, who together developed a style that combined painting and craft decoration. Koetsu designed wooden objects with lacquer decoration; Sotatsu ran a fan-painting shop. Korin designed lacquers in Koetsu’s manner. Korin’s work reduced motifs to a minimum, which offered a dramatic contrast of forms and visual textures. He is known to have mixed viewpoints in his pictures, for example, showing a stream as seen from above, but trees from ground level. Korin is known for applying gold and silver paste to decorative painting. He also mixed gold paste with wet ink to achieve a pleasing effect in ink paintings. His subjects included figures, flowers, birds, and also landscapes.
• Why are Ogata Korin's works important today?+

  Ogata Korin (1658-1716) was a painter and designer of lacquerware, celebrated for his decorative works. He came from a merchant family and is considered one of the most important figures in the Rinpa school of artists. Korin's importance stems from his original designs and his impact on later artists. He was deeply influenced by Koetsu and Sotatsu but developed his own style. He often used gold and silver in his work, mixing gold paste with wet ink to create pleasing effects. Korin is known for bold brushstrokes and fondness for painting flowers, but he also produced figure paintings and works featuring birds. His work gained renewed attention in the 20th century, and he is now closely associated with the Rinpa style. The name "Rinpa" became standard in the early 1970s, following exhibitions in the USA and Japan. Korin's designs continue to be copied as homage to his creative genius.
• What art movement was Ogata Korin part of?+

  Ogata Korin was associated with the Art Nouveau movement.
• When did Ogata Korin die?+

  Ogata Korin died in 1716 at the age of 58.