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Fûgai Honkô (1779-1847)
Nanga
Man in a landscape
Signed: Fûgai
Seals: Kôyû
Technique: sumi and pink on paper 130.2 x 30
Mounting: bronze damasak 213.5 x 43
Box: inscribed
Condition: very good

Fûgai was born in a poor family of farmers in a small village near Ise. At the age of eight he entered a Buddhist monastery. After seeing a painting by Tanke Gessen he decided to become a painter. At the Ryûmanji temple while studying Buddhism under Genrô Ôryû (1720-1813) he took the name Honkô around the year 1800. He became a priest of the Sôtô sect at thirty and eventually succeeded his teacher. As was common among priests Fûgai traveled widely between 1812-1818, in which he also held a number of posts before settling down. It is said that in one of those travels he met with a large number of paintings by Ike no Taiga (1723-1776) in the Katsube collection. This should explain his style, which leans heavily to that of Taiga.

Reference:
Toyota 2008
Addiss'75 # 10-11
Addiss'76 # 27
Addiss'86 # 47

Price: EUR 850 / USD 901