was a Japanese painter.
Tosa Mitsuoki succeeded his father, Tosa Mitsunori (1583–1638), as head of the Tosa school and brought the Tosa school to Kyoto after around 50 years in Sakai. When the school was settled in Sakai, Mitsunori painted for townsmen. The school was not as prolific as it once was when Mitsunobu, who painted many fine scrolls (1434–1525) ran the school. Mitsuoki moved out of Sakai with his father, in 1634 and into the city of Kyoto. There, he hoped to revive the Tosa school to gain status back into the Kyoto court. Around the time of 1654 he gained a position as court painter (edokoro azukari) that had for many years traditionally been held by the Tosa family, but was in possession of the Kano school since the late Muromachi period (1338–1573).
Restoring the Tosa School
In 1634, Mitsuoki relocataed from Sakai, Osaka prefecture to the capitol at the behest of Emperor Go-Mizunoo. Mitsunori began painting ceremonial fans sensu for the court. In 1654, Mitsuoki succeeded his father, Tosa Mitsunori, when he was elevated to the title of the edokoro azukari, "head of the Imperial court painting bureau". The Tosa-ha prospered throughout the Edo period, during the years of 1600 to 1868. Tosa school works were again favored by the Kyoto elites at court. Showing influence form Chinese paintings and echoing stylistic choices of the Kano School, Mitsuoki's painting style deviated more so from Tosa style traditions than his predecessors granting him a wider audience of appeal to the changing art tastes of the imperial court. Mitsuoki descendants succeeded him in his role as edokoro azukari, starting with his son, Tosa Mitsunari (1646–1710). Many of the successors used the same techniques and style of painting as Mitsuoki, this lack of innovation by Mitsuoki's successors produced many works that could be misappropriated to Mitsuoki. This lack of adaption to the continuously evolving 17th century Japanese culture lead to the gradual disinterest in the family's work and its eventual die out in the nineteenth century. In 1690, Mitsuoki contributed to The Authoritative Summary of the Rules of Japanese Painting, Honchou gahou daiden (本朝画法大伝) a book detailing many Tosa painting techniques that had been traditionally handed down orally.
The Art Workshop
The court and political affiliated art school practices of historical Japan are far different than their contemporary counterparts in Europe and America, but more akin to a family craft, business, or workshop than academic institution where any person may apply and learn the trade. Many practices flourished during the Edo period, imploring different understandings of Japanese customs and Chinese artistic learning. Yamato-e incorporated various visual and literary techniques for establishing narrative. Works were not always accompanied with text and may rely on heavily on period specific visual motifs, icons, and symbols to relay a story or theme. Tosa style by the time of Mitsuoki focused heavily on depicting themes of plants and nature, famous places, meisho-e (名所絵), the four seasons, shiki-e (四季絵), bird-and-flower, kachō-e (花鳥絵). Many of these popular symbols and icons from mimicking Chinese practices, treating the original Chinese masterwork as a sort of prototype to improve upon. Popular formats for Mitsuoki's pictures were wall scrolls kakemono (掛け物), or handscrolls (emakimono) that would be read from right to left with the accompanied story, sliding doors fusuma and folding screen panels byobu that featured up to six panels. Mitsuoki's style incorporated the depth and calligraphy techniques of ink wash brushwork similar to Song dynasty (AD 960–1279) and Yuan dynasty (AD 1271–1368) Chinese court paintings, used cartoon-like sketch linework, innovation of historical designs, and excellent execution of decorative elements. With the great shifts to Japanese cultural and social structures over the two hundred and fifty-odd years, new art schools and practices arose that the recently popular revival of the Tosa had to contend with. The new influences such as the Kano style and Ukiyo-e, with their reimaging of birds, beasts, and the plant life of Japan can be seen influencing Tosa Mitsuoki's practice.
{| class="sortable" style="text-align:center; font-size:small"
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!Tosa Mitsunori!!Tosa Mitsuoki!!Kano Tan'yu
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|thumb|Tosa Mitsunori Genji-Monogatari Detail||thumb|Kashiwagi, Genji monogatari, Tosa Mitsuoki||thumb|Kano Tan'yu - Phoenixes by Paulownia Trees - Google Art Project
|+ It is easy to see the drastic shift of Mitsuoki's artistic practice when put in comparison with his father, Mitsunori, and fellow contemporary Kano-he artist, Kano Tan'yu. Here we are better able to see how Mitsuoki uses void between defining figures, with tonal washes of color only being broken by equally formless instances of gold leaf hinting at an obscuring fog. Here, the fog's nature acts similar to the curtain and delineates the dreamscape of The Tale of Genji from the viewer's reality much more effectively than the frame-like mist of Mitsunori's interpretation. Mitsuoki's space is voluminous, much like that of Kano Tan'yu's Phoenixes by Paulownia Trees. The sparseness of objects grounding Mitsuoki's space invites the viewer to wonder among the ambiguous vastness of the space; where as Mitsunori's work does not cause this sharing of reality and treats the viewer as if they are watching through a window. Mitsuoki's clouds feel as though they could be dispersed and reveal hidden figures.
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One of the best Yamato-e painters of the time was Mitsuoki. His paintings reintroduced subject matter into the arts. His urbanized surroundings heavily influenced his style, with a wide angle of art ranging from "Quails and Flowers", to tree and scenery paintings on gold leaf screens.
Mitsuoki reinstated the Tosa school style by incorporating the space and light touch somewhat similar to the earlier Song dynasty and Yuan dynasty (AD 960–1279) Chinese court paintings. He also put greater stress on ink brushwork. Mitsuoki had a style that was decorative, refined, and precise all at the same time, and throughout his career he maintained a consistent delivery. The birds and the landscapes were soft and delicate lines formed some inspiring pieces filled with beauty. His light-hearted linework, originality of design, and excellent execution, Mitsuoki combined tones which were bright without hardness, sometimes with touches of gold forming a harmony of color that was hard to find in his era. He became one of the most renowned Japanese exponents of bird-and-flower (kachō) painting in the Chinese court manner and is especially noted in his precise depictions of quail. His flower pieces were elegant, and given some tender sediment. Mitsuoki's sternness of his older style, never lost its dignity, but gained gentleness and tranquility. The Emperor, nobles and rich families collected and preserved his books.
Works
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center; font-size:small"
!Title!!Technique!!Format!!Dimensions(cm)!!Signature!!Year!!Current location!!image
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|Quail and Millet||Ink and Color on Silk||Hanging scroll||124.14 × 69.85 × 2.54 cm||Tosa sakon shogen Mitsuoki||17th Century||Dallas Museum of Art
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|Ono no Komachi||Ink and Color on Silk||Hanging scroll||73.3 x 31.3||Tosa sakon shogen Mitsuoki||17 Century|| |
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||Ishiyama-dera engi emaki|| ||4 parts|| || ||1655-81||Ishiyama-dera
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|Song of Twelve months||Ink and color on silk ||2 part scroll||Volume 1 29.0x665.0<br />Volume 2 29.0x663.5|| ||1664-68||Tokyo National Museum
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|Egrets and Cotton Roses||Ink and Color||Hanging scroll||118.5 × 56.3||Tosa sakon shogen Mitsuoki hitsu||17th Century||Metropolitan Museum of Art||thumb|MET DP700742
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|Portrait of Hojo Ujinaga||Ink and Color on paper||Hanging scroll||127.2x56.4|| ||1670-81||Detroit Institute of Arts||thumb|Mitsuoki Tosa - Portrait of Hojo Ujinaga - 2013.71 - Detroit Institute of Arts
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|Toyotomi Hideyoshi portrait||Ink and color||Hanging scroll||75.2x31.5||Tosa sakon shogen Mitsuoki hitsu||17th Century ||Taigan Historical Museum, Sun Collection
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|Sakaorimiya Renga|| ||Scroll|| ||Tosa sakon shogen Mitsuoki hitsu||17th Century ||Yamanashi Prefectural Museum
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|Genji Monogatari Folding Screen||Ink and Color||6 panel folding screen||100.7x286.0 (panel)|| ||17th Century||Tokyo National Museum||thumb|Ch42 nioumiya
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|Mushrooms Skewered on Bamboo Twig||Ink and Color on Silk||Hanging scroll|| ||Tosa sakon shogen Mitsuoki hitsu||17th Century||British Museum
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|Yashima Uji River Hejian screen||Ink and Color||6 panel folding screen||155.1x365.4 (panel)|| ||17th Century||Tokyo National Museum
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|Album of Thirty six Immortal Poets||Ink and Color||booklet||17.5x15.4 (panel)|| ||17th Century||The University Art Museum - Tokyo University of the Arts
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|Flowering Cherry and Autumn Maples with Poem Slips||Ink and color, Gold and Silver||2 x 6 Panel Folding screens||144x286 (panel)||Tosa sakon shogen Mitsuoki hitsu||1654-81||Art Institute of Chicago||thumb|Tosa Mitsuoki - Flowering Cherry and Autumn Maples with Poem Slips - Google Art Project
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The Tosa school
The Tosa school, in its own history, expressly stated that the school founded in the ninth century owed nothing to the influence of China. But the style of the Tosa school looks like it was greatly influenced by Chinese painting. Apart from religious subjects, it occupied a special position in art specializing in the taste of the Court of Kyoto. Quails and Peacocks, cherry tree branches in flower, cocks and hens, Daimyōs with their samurai in gorgeous ceremonial costumes, were painted as time went on with extreme care and patience and attention to detail.