Maruyama Ōkyo (1733-1795)

Maruyama Ōkyo was born into a farming family in Anada Village, Tamba Province (north Kyoto), and at a young age made dolls and Western-style perspective glasses paintings. He later studied under Ishida Yutei (1721-1786) and learned the basics of the Kano school.

Through an encounter with Yujō, a monk of Enman-in temple (1723-1773), who painted himself and was also familiar with honzōgaku (herbology), he began to emphasise the importance of 'sketching' in his work.
After Yujō's death, he gained the support of many wealthy merchants, such as the Mitsui family, and vigorously produced large screens and fusuma (sliding door) paintings. Although he is said to have suffered from eye problems in his later years, in 1795 he completed the Daijō-ji temple wall paintings, including the 'Peacock on Pine Tree'. In contrast to works such as Peony and Peacock (Shōkokuji temple, Kyoto), which were painted in richly coloured colours, the paintings depicted pine trees and peacocks using only subtly shaded black ink, and he continued to pursue new forms of expression until his final years.

Nagasawa Rosetsu (1754-1799)

Nagasawa Rosetsu is said to have been born in Yodo, Yamashiro Province (south of Kyoto), and spent his childhood at home, after which he was introduced to Maruyama Ōkyo.
It is known that before and after his introduction to Ōkyo, he used the name 'Ushu' and changed it to 'Rosetsu' in 1781.
H
e painted works such as Peony Peacock and Xi Wangmu (Queen Mother of the West), which were faithfully inherited from Ōkyo's painting style, but he also painted eccentric compositions from his early works.
Compared to Ōkyo's style, his painting style changed to one that could be seen as bold and rough, and in his final years he left works such as 500 Arhats depicted in 3cm square papre. He died at the age of 45.