born 1756, Kanazawa, Japan died Jan. 19, 1839, Kyōto
Japanese painter of the late Tokugawa period who established the Kishi school of painting.
A retainer of Prince Arisugawa in Kyōto and a holder of high rank, Ganku studied various styles of painting, including those of the Maruyama school, known for its realism, and of the Chinese painter Shen Nan-p’in, who had visited Japan in 1731. Ganku developed a realistic solid style and painted portraits, landscapes, flowers, and birds. He was particularly noted for his pictures of tigers.
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