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Lot Essay
Ganku was born in Kanazawa, Kaga Province. He worked first in a textile shop, then moved to Kyoto in 1773 and became a retainer of Prince Arisugawa. During the Tenmei era (1781-89) he executed wall paintings for the Imperial Palace. In 1804, he entered court service and was appointed Echizen no suke [Honorary Governor of Echizen Province], which he incorporated into his signature of works of this period (as in this pair of screens). In 1809, he returned to Kanazawa to serve Lord Maeda and was commissioned to create paintings for Kaga Castle. In 1836 he was promoted to Ju-goi Echizen no kami [Honorary Lord of Echizen Province with the rank of Ju-goi].
After training in both Kano school and Chinese styles, he explored Japanese “naturalism” under Maruyama Okyo and nanga-inspired “naturalism” under Matsumura Goshun of the Shijo school in Kyoto. However, perhaps looking for his own approach, he founded the Kishi school, characterised by a rough and vigorous brush style but still incorporating elements of the many influences his training had provided. Ganku developed a signature mixture of realism and sumptuous decorative elements. He is renowned for his paintings of animals, particularly of tigers.
For a pair of screens of tigers by Ganku, formerly in the Manno Art Museum, Osaka, and subsequently purchased by the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, accession number EA2002.61 a and b, go to:
https://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/collection/8/per_page/25/offset/0/sort_by/date/object/22607
For a set of four fusuma depicting tigers and a dragon in sumi, in The Walters Art Museum, accession number 35.301, go to:
https://art.thewalters.org/detail/77479/fusuma-tigers-and-dragon/
For a pair of screens depicting bamboo by Ganku in the Art Institute of Chicago, accession no. 1967.378-1967.379, go to:
https://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/198910
After training in both Kano school and Chinese styles, he explored Japanese “naturalism” under Maruyama Okyo and nanga-inspired “naturalism” under Matsumura Goshun of the Shijo school in Kyoto. However, perhaps looking for his own approach, he founded the Kishi school, characterised by a rough and vigorous brush style but still incorporating elements of the many influences his training had provided. Ganku developed a signature mixture of realism and sumptuous decorative elements. He is renowned for his paintings of animals, particularly of tigers.
For a pair of screens of tigers by Ganku, formerly in the Manno Art Museum, Osaka, and subsequently purchased by the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, accession number EA2002.61 a and b, go to:
https://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/collection/8/per_page/25/offset/0/sort_by/date/object/22607
For a set of four fusuma depicting tigers and a dragon in sumi, in The Walters Art Museum, accession number 35.301, go to:
https://art.thewalters.org/detail/77479/fusuma-tigers-and-dragon/
For a pair of screens depicting bamboo by Ganku in the Art Institute of Chicago, accession no. 1967.378-1967.379, go to:
https://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/198910