Okada Beisaniin

Background

Okada Beisaniin was born in 1744. The son of a prosperous rice merchant.

Education

A poet and artist, he studied painting of the southern school of China and originated bis own style.

Career

Okada Beisaniin came under the influence of the painter-musician Uragami Gyokudo and other artists who were family friends. Later he became a retainer of a lord and was his official Confucian teacher. Okada Beisaniin excelled in painting landscapes in the bunjin-ga style that he mastered by studying illustrated books of Chinese paintings. Okada’s technique was rather crude, but he drew with an impressive economy of strokes. His works were original and serene, a good example being "Picture Album of Landscape."

Works

More photos

• painting

  • painting

Personality

Okada enjoyed reading and was fond of the books of paintings that had been collected by his family for generation.

Connections

Friend:

Chikuden Tanomura

Chikuden Tanomura, noted artist, used to praise the elegance and calmness of Okada's pictures. Chikuden is said to have learned much from Beisanjin.