Kaigetsudo Anchi
Encyclopedia
Kaigetsudō Anchi(active ca. 1700-1716) was a Japanese painter and printmaker of the Kaigetsudō school
of ukiyo-e
art. He was the student, and likely the son of the school's founder, Kaigetsudō Ando
.
As is the case with most of the Kaigetsudō artists, the details of Anchi's life are almost completely unknown. His works, like those of other members of the school, are almost exclusively paintings, and of those almost all are of courtesans in exquisite kimono
. His few woodblock prints
are of the same subjects and style, and were likely a special commission. Though his works follow very much the distinctive style of Ando (and thus of the school as whole), Richard Lane
points out that the attitude and emotion of the women in Anchi's works differs from those of his teacher. He writes, "whereas Ando's women can often pass for maidens of ladies of quality, Anchi's girls are manifestly courtesans, lovely but at the same time somehow predatory. They seem to be thinking only of themselves; most men would think twice before putting their love into such hands."
Kaigetsudo school
The Kaigetsudō school was a school of ukiyo-e painting and printmaking founded in Edo around 1700-1714. It is often said that the various Kaigetsudō artists' styles are so similar, many scholars find it nearly impossible to differentiate them; thus, many Kaigetsudō paintings are attributed to the...
of ukiyo-e
Ukiyo-e
' is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, the theatre, and pleasure quarters...
art. He was the student, and likely the son of the school's founder, Kaigetsudō Ando
Kaigetsudo Ando
Kaigetsudō Ando , also known as Ando Yasunori, was a Japanese painter, and the founder of the Kaigetsudō school of ukiyo-e. Though very influential and prolific, it is quite probable that many of the works attributed to him were actually painted by his disciples...
.
As is the case with most of the Kaigetsudō artists, the details of Anchi's life are almost completely unknown. His works, like those of other members of the school, are almost exclusively paintings, and of those almost all are of courtesans in exquisite kimono
Kimono
The is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" , has come to denote these full-length robes...
. His few woodblock prints
Woodblock printing in Japan
Woodblock printing in Japan is a technique best known for its use in the ukiyo-e artistic genre; however, it was also used very widely for printing books in the same period. Woodblock printing had been used in China for centuries to print books, long before the advent of movable type, but was only...
are of the same subjects and style, and were likely a special commission. Though his works follow very much the distinctive style of Ando (and thus of the school as whole), Richard Lane
Richard Douglas Lane
Richard Lane was an American scholar, author, collector, and dealer of Japanese art. He lived in Japan for much of his life, and had a long association with the Honolulu Academy of Arts in Hawaii, which now holds his vast art collection.-Life:...
points out that the attitude and emotion of the women in Anchi's works differs from those of his teacher. He writes, "whereas Ando's women can often pass for maidens of ladies of quality, Anchi's girls are manifestly courtesans, lovely but at the same time somehow predatory. They seem to be thinking only of themselves; most men would think twice before putting their love into such hands."