Sakai Hoitsu (1761 - 1828)

Painter of the Rimpa school at the latter part of the Edo period.

Hoitsu was born at the mansion of the Himeji Domain in Kanda-Ogawa town of Edo area.
His father, Sakai Tadamochi, was the lord (daimyo) of Himeji Domain.
Hoitsu was the second son of Tadamochi.
As Hoitsu's elder brother (Tadazane) succeeded to his father's position (daimyo), Hoitsu deternined to live as a person of taste.
His brother aided Hoitsu.

Hoitsu studied painting under Kano Takanobu and Kano Korenobu of the Kano school.
The Sakai daimyo family continually invited So Shiseki and So Shizan (father & son), masters of the Nagasaki Nanpin school, so that Hoitsu was also affected by their painting style.
And more, Hoitsu studied the Ukiyo-e style painting under Utagawa Toyoharu.
Today, around 10 pieces of Ukiyo-e (genre painting) by Hoitsu are existent.

In his midlife, Hoitsu adored Ogata Korin (1658 - 1716), the great artist of the Rimpa school at the middle part of the Edo period.
There were some artworks by Korin in the collection of the Sakai daimyo family, because Korin used to serve the family before Hoitsu was born.
Hoitsu determined to revive the Rimpa style.
He drew many paintings that can be savored of the Rimpa taste and also his original taste.
From around 1817, he built a craft center at Shitaya in Edo, he started drawing designs for Maki-e decoration crafts.
He became the leader of the craft center.
In 1828, he died at the age of 68 in this craft center.