Okyo Maruyama (1733-1795) was a renowned artist most notable for his innovations blending eastern and western cultural aesthetics. His unique style, a successful departure from tradition, has made his works highly collectable.
He grew up in Kyoto, a city immersed in tradition but whose populace drew inspiration from overseas. His interests extended to studies in medicine, human anatomy, physics and botany, and he incorporated the things he learned from Dutch and Chinese texts into his art. Okyo combined Japanese painting techniques with Western perspective, which resulted in a unique approach to his craft.
His exposure to Western knowledge began as a teenager while he was working in a toy shop in central Kyoto. As an apprentice under the Kano school artist Ishida Yutei (1721-86), he mastered painting techniques, including brushwork, perspective and shading, and painting theory. He later founded the Maruyama School of Painting
In his later works, he incorporated many features from Japanese art, such as leaving large areas of his compositions unpainted and using preliminary drawings to prepare those compositions. Okyo drew from other traditions as well, most prominent among them was the practice of sketching from nature employed in Chinese pharmacology.His acclaim earned him commissions from wealthy merchants, Buddhist temples and court nobles, and this allowed him to create large-scale majestic works.
Byobu, meaning 'wind wall' in Japanese, have been prized for their exquisite painting and calligraphy since the 7th century. Found in most homes, some folding screens were simply made as room dividers while others were masterfully crafted and displayed as symbols of wealth and power in the homes of Lords and Samurai. Free standing or mounted on a wall, Byobu bring elegance and history into any space.
Age: 250 Years
Origin: Japan
Material: Paper, Wood
Size: 74" x 70"