Tiger Family

By the time this self-taught painter reached his thirties, his paintings were keenly sought after by Kyoto’s sophisticated patrons, including members of the imperial family. Judging from the surviving works, his supporters delighted in the colorful, auspicious imagery of Chinese historical figures, blossoming plum trees, cranes, peacocks, roosters, and especially tigers. Kishi Ganku was originally from the coastal town of Kanazawa, but relocated to Kyoto to work for the Arisugawa family. His work incorporates stylistic elements from the Kano school, the Maruyama school, and works by the Chinese artist Shen Nanping (1682–1760).