Hara Zaichū

Place: Kyoto

Born: 1750

Death: 1837

Biography:

Hara Zaichū was born Hara Chien (致遠) in 1750 in Kyoto, where he lived throughout his life. Although his family were sake brewers, Zaichū followed his passion for art. He studied the painting techniques of the then dominant Kanō School under master painter Ishida Yutei (石田幽汀) (1721–86) and was instructed in Buddhist painting by Yamamoto Tan'en (山本探淵) (d. 1816). Zaichū was a Japanese painter in the Edo period and was the founder of the Hara School of Painters. He was known for his ink and color on silk paintings, often depicting landscapes and figures. He was also an imperial court painter and exerted great influence within Kyoto art circles. He contributed paintings to various temples and shrines, as well as to the Kyoto Imperial Palace.