Kōrin's painting style 1818

This image of deer, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was made with ink and color on paper by Aikawa Minwa in Japan in the early 19th century. The soft lines and muted colors are reminiscent of the Rinpa school of painting which revived classical themes from Japanese literature and art. However, Minwa's work diverges from this tradition. While the Rinpa school often catered to the tastes of the Kyoto elite, Minwa lived in Edo, present-day Tokyo, and his paintings were more accessible and humorous, reflecting the tastes of the rising merchant class. This print shows a lightness of tone and a sense of movement that might signal the relative social mobility of the time. The image captures a shift in cultural patronage away from the traditional elite towards the more open culture of the city. To understand this period better, historians often consult Edo-period literature and theater, along with commercial records and other documents that reveal the everyday life of the people.