Meditative expressions of the natural world, Itō Jakuchū’s bird-and-flower images take pride of place among Japanese artworks of the mid-Edo period. Jakuchū, a largely self-taught artist and a devoted Buddhist, was well aware of the country’s increasingly modern appetites, thanks to his family’s grocery store in the heart of a rapidly growing Kyoto. He painted in a traditional yet modern manner, experimenting with intricate realism using fresh perspectives and vibrant decorative styles.
