Itō Jakuchū was an artist in Kyoto during the 18th century, who never allowed his work to be tied to any artistic movement but instead created a personal style, having only dedicated himself to painting at the age of 40. This exhibition presents his series of 30 hanging scrolls entitled Images of the Colourful Realm of Living Beings (Dōshoku sai-e) – his most ambitious work, created over nearly a decade.
With its flowers, fish and birds, the series represents one of the most remarkable examples of Japanese polychrome painting in the 18th century. Currently in the collection of the Imperial Household Agency of Japan, the work has only left the country once before in its history. In Paris, it will be displayed alongside the artist’s trio of Buddhist paintings, from the Shōkoku-ji temple in Kyoto. Find out more about the Jakuchū exhibition from the Petit Palais’s website.
Preview the exhibition below | See Apollo’s Picks of the Week here
Mandarin Ducks in the Snow (1759), from The Colourful Kingdom of Living Beings (1757–66), Itō Jakuchū. The Museum of Imperial Collections (Sannomaru Shōzōkan), Tokyo
Roses and Birds (1765), from The Colourful Kingdom of Living Beings (1757–65), Itō Jakuchū. The Museum of Imperial Collections (Sannomaru Shōzōkan), Tokyo
Fowls (1765), from The Colourful Kingdom of Living Beings (1757–66), Itō Jakuchū. The Museum of Imperial Collections (Sannomaru Shōzōkan), Tokyo
Black Rooster and Nandin (detail; 1765), from The Colourful Kingdom of Living Beings (1757–65), Itō Jakuchū. The Museum of Imperial Collections (Sannomaru Shōzōkan), Tokyo
Fish and Octopus (1766), from The Colourful Kingdom of Living Beings (1757–66), Itō Jakuchū. The Museum of Imperial Collections (Sannomaru Shōzōkan), Tokyo
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