Biography of Japanese Painter

Tanomura Chokunyu (1814 - 1907)

Photo of Tanomura Chokunyu in his last years

Last man of the Bunjin-Ga style painters.
Chokunyu was born in Takeda Village of Bungo Province as the 3rd son of Sannomiya Denuemon, Samurai of Oka clan.
 Because Chokunyu's uncle, Watanabe Hohto was Tanomura Chikuden's teacher, Chokunyu entered Chikuden's painting school.
Later, Chokunyu became an adopted son of Chikuden.
Chokunyu was good at composing Chinese poems, Neo-Confucianism, Zen  practices, Japanese tea ceremony, incense burning, swordplay and using spear.
After the Meiji Restoration, Chokunyu participated in establishing the Kyoto Prefectural School of Painting and he became the first school principal.
In 1896, Chokunyu established the Nihon Nanga-In in cooperation with Tomioka Tessai and Taniguchi Aizan.

  • Kacho-zu, Flowers & Birds 1847
  • Ryuei Kanpo-zu, Walking among Willow Tree 1865
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