Tani Buncho (1763 - 1841). Tani Buncho was a Japanese painter belonging to the Bunjin-ga movement, the painting of Japanese scholars, as well as a poet. He is also known as Bungoro, or under the brush names of Chazauro, Gaga Kusai, Shoso, Muni, Ichigo, Bun-Ami. The Bunjin-ga, sometimes also called Nan-ga, or painting of the South, was a painting very strongly inspired by the painting of Chinese scholars, monochrome landscape painting and Indian ink. It was established later in Edo, where Tani Buncho worked, than in West Japan. Tani Buncho began by painting in the official style of the Kano school, before turning to the Nan-ga and Bunjin-ga style. But he kept a fairly eclectic approach, integrating other styles into his own. Tani Buncho's father, Rokkoku, was part of the Tayasu house suite, and was a well-known poet. Tani Buncho himself was sponsored by Matsudaira Sadanobu, a son of the Tayasu family who became one of the main advisers to the Shogun in the middle of the Edo era. With Buncho, Nanga became established in Édo at the end of the 18th century. He began to paint young under the aegis of his lord Matsudaira Sadanobu who detected his early talent. He studied the styles of several schools then Chinese works, Ming and Qing, of which he made very careful copies. He strives to synthesize these various elements, hence his composite style also affected by the rules of Western painting. He is the author of illustrations for books, paintings on various subjects, but he gives the best of himself in the landscapes, and among others, a series of realistic landscapes including scientific accuracy was used to defend the bay of Edo. He is very well known during his lifetime, and the only one of his contemporaries who can compete with his versatility and prolificity is Hokusai Katsushika. The profusion of his second-rate works has recently reconsidered his place in the history of Japanese painting. His most beautiful works date from the Kansei era. His best known disciple is Watanabe Kazan. Tachihara Kyosho was also one of his pupils.
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