Monkey Trainers and Scenes of Chinese Life (耕作図屏風)
Edo period (1615–1868), 17th century
Medium
Ink and light colors on paper
Dimensions
Painting: 156 × 358 cm (61 7/16 × 141 in.); 170.4 × 372 cm (67 1/8 × 146 1/2 in.)
Classification
screen
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
158485
Art Historical Context
Kano Yasunobu’s Monkey Trainers and Scenes of Chinese Life is a striking example of Edo-period screen painting. Created in the 17th century, this large-format work uses delicate ink lines and subtle of color on paper to lively vignettes of daily. As a master of the Kano school—the hereditary atelier that served Japan’s military—Yasunobu blended Chinese-inspired compositions with the refined, decorative aesthetic favored by samurai patrons. Folding screens like this one functioned both as practical room dividers and as portable works of art in aristocratic households. The subject matter, drawi...
About the Artist
Kano Yasunobu (Japanese) · 1614 –1685
Japanese, 1614–1685