Untitled (Mountains and three trees) 

Ike no Taiga painted this ink-on-paper landscape in 18th-century Japan, a time when artists looked to China for inspiration. The composition is deceptively simple: mountains, trees, and water, rendered with brushstrokes that emphasize spontaneity. Taiga was associated with the Bunjinga movement. These artists sought to create a personal and expressive style in contrast to the more formal, academic styles of the Kano school, which were closely tied to the ruling shogunate. The Bunjinga artists valued individual expression, erudition, and a deep understanding of Chinese culture, including its poetry, calligraphy, and painting. To truly understand this work, we’d need to consider the complex social hierarchy of Edo-period Japan, including the place of the artist within it, and the cultural norms of art production and patronage. By looking at letters, diaries, and other historical documents we can better understand how Japanese artists negotiated the complex institutional landscape of their time.