Arts in the Edo era
An artistically rich period emerged in Japan during the Edo era (1603-1867), named for Edo (now Tokyo), the political center of Japan. This period is also called the Tokugawa, after the name of the ruling dynasty of shoguns. Artists drew on various traditions--Japanese, Chinese, and Western. This interaction of traditions gave artists access to a large artistic vocabulary. The Kano school, founded in the 1400's by Kano Masanobu, continued to prosper as the official painters of the Tokugawa shoguns. The basic style of Edo painting came from the Kano school together with that of the Tosa school, also established in the 1400's. The Tosa school took its subjects and techniques from classical Yamato-e, a style that developed in Japan in the 900's. The later Edo period also produced realistic landscapes painted in color.
The building projects of the shoguns were important training grounds for painters and craftworkers and provided many opportunities for professional artists. Artists painted screens and other works that decorated the new buildings. The growth of castle towns enhanced patronage for regional painting styles. The aristocracy living in Kyoto was the official patron of Tosa school painting, but wealthy merchants also supported it.
Excerpt adapted from the "Painting" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999