A RARE NAMBAN GENRE PAINTING

Description:

Japan, Nagasaki-School, probably Momoyama - early Edo period, possibly by Nobukata
74 x 83 cm (R)
Namban genre depiction: Lady with a harp. Ink, rich colors, and gold leaf on paper (fragment of a folding screen).
Important private collection (acquired in Japan over 35 years ago)
A rare example of a genre scene from the Nagasaki school. It was dominated by the Roman painter Giovanni Nicola (c. 1558 - 1626), who was invited to Japan in 1582 because of his skills. In addition to painting, he was a talented instrument maker. The renowned American art historian Grace Vlam, still a leading authority in the field of Momoyama art in the Western style, noted that in 1601 there were at least 17 art students at the seminary. Nobukata was probably the best among these priest-painters. Even before his conversion from Buddhism to Christianity and his entry into the Jesuit painting school in Nagasaki, he had already been active as a painter. Dr. Vlam explains in her thesis "Western-Style Secular Painting in Momoyama Japan" that Nobukata's style had a great influence and even affected artists such as Shiba Kokan (1747 - 1818) inspired. The complex meaning of such depictions on folding screens was not an invention of the artist, but came from the tradition of the painting school of the Society of Jesus. The depiction had a didactic character: European ladies and noblemen were shown in an ideal landscape, devoting themselves to music and poetry. The tranquility, peace, and joy of classical Arcadia represented paradise, a reward for those who remained steadfast in their faith. Around 1600, Japan feared an invasion by the Portuguese. In 1614, Tokugawa Ieyasu issued his expulsion edict, by which he expelled all missionaries and the Japanese clergy from the country. This edict brought an end to the painting school - Few tears and minor restorations