KAWAMURA, Bunpo.

£750 · Offered by Peter Harrington · No longer available

Teito gakei ichiran ("Elegant Views of the Capital at a Glance"). First edition, later printing. Bunpo applied the techniques of Chinese painting to scenes of Kyoto to create what Ellis Tinios calls "a meditation on that remarkable city" (p. 46). Famous sites like Yasaka Shrine and Kiyomizudera are prominent and many views are accompanied by Chinese poetry.Kawamura Bunpo (1779-1821) was a prominent landscape artist of the late Edo period, known for his mastery of Chinese-style painting and his delicate brushwork. In Teito gakei ichiran, he emphasized a peaceful, tranquil environment within Kyoto, "to demonstrate that, although he lived in that crowded metropolis, he could find stillness within it as befitted a true gentleman scholar, one who kept aloof from the toils of this world" (Tinios, p. 46).This copy is a later printing, with black ink used for the keyblock instead of grey and seals next to the Chinese poetry in Volume III. The first printings were released in 1809 (volumes I and II) and 1816 (volumes III and IV). The colophon for Volume II sees Chojiya Genjiro replace Ozawa Tazaemon. Chojiya only became involved in Bunpo's publications after 1837.

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.