Prentenalbum van Korin 1826

This is the cover of Prentenalbum van Korin, a woodblock print album, made in Japan by Nakamura Hōchū around 1802. The album, whose title translates as "Prints in the Style of Korin," revives the aesthetics of the earlier artist Ogata Kōrin. Kōrin’s designs became popular through printed books like this album. The Rinpa school, to which both artists belonged, was not an institution in the conventional sense, but more like a loose affiliation of artists who admired and emulated each other. They took inspiration from classical Japanese art, and from the natural world. Rinpa artists moved in relatively elite social circles, and their aesthetic became associated with wealth and sophistication. By the time Hōchū made this album, the Rinpa style was seen as a nostalgic evocation of an older, more courtly culture. Understanding an image like this requires us to consider the world that the artist inhabited, the styles and traditions that he consciously adopted, and the tastes of his audience.