Ogata Kōrin

Lore & Background

Ogata Kōrin (1658–1716) was a Japanese painter, lacquerer, textile designer, and illustrator associated with the Rinpa school. He is renowned for his byōbu folding screens, including *Irises* and *Red and White Plum Blossoms*, both designated National Treasures. His work also extended to ceramics and lacquerware produced in collaboration with his brother, the potter Kenzan, as well as decorative objects such as round fans, writing boxes with relief lacquer (makie), and medicine cases (inrō). Kōrin is credited with reviving and consolidating the Rinpa school roughly fifty years after its founding by Hon'ami Kōetsu and Tawaraya Sōtatsu; the term "Rinpa" itself means "school of [Kō]rin." Born in Kyoto to a wealthy merchant family that ran a textile business catering to aristocratic women, Kōrin received a typical education in painting and calligraphy, though he was more interested in theater in his youth. He likely studied under a Kanō school painter, but his mature style was most influenced by Kōetsu and Sōtatsu. After his father’s death in 1687, Kōrin and Kenzan inherited a considerable sum, but Kōrin’s lavish spending and loans to feudal lords led to financial difficulties, forcing him to pawn treasured possessions. He established himself as an artist late in life, receiving the honorific title hokkyō in 1701. Moving to Edo in 1704, he secured lucrative commissions and studied medieval ink paintings by Sesshū and Sesson, influences seen in works like *Rough Waves*. He returned to Kyoto in 1709, building a home and atelier where he created late masterpieces such as *Red and White Plum Blossoms*. Kōrin died impoverished in 1716 and is buried at Myōken-ji temple in Kyoto. His chief pupils included Tatebayashi Kagei, Watanabe Shikō, and Fukae Rōshu, while his brother Kenzan and later Sakai Hōitsu were instrumental in preserving and reviving his style.

Reader's Guide

Ogata Kōrin's significance lies in his revival and consolidation of the Rinpa school, which had been founded fifty years earlier by Hon'ami Kōetsu and Tawaraya Sōtatsu. The very term 'Rinpa' derives from his name, coined in the Meiji period. Kōrin brought the designs of the Rinpa school of painting into lacquerware, a key contribution to the decorative arts. He worked on lacquerware in collaboration with his brother Kenzan. During the Edo period (1603–1868), with the development of economy and culture, the artistic quality of lacquered furniture improved, and Kōrin and Kenzan were part of this movement. The source does not mention Kōrin's influence on later artists or his legacy through pupils.

Did You Know?

• The term 'Rinpa' derives from Kōrin's name, coined in the Meiji period.
• Kōrin brought the designs of the Rinpa school of painting into lacquerware.
• He worked alongside his brother Kenzan on lacquerware.
• The Rinpa school was founded fifty years earlier by Hon'ami Kōetsu and Tawaraya Sōtatsu.
• Kōrin's work on lacquerware occurred during the Edo period (1603–1868).