Sakai Hōitsu

A painter from the late Edo period. His name was Tadanao, and he was commonly known as Eihachi. He was born in Edo as the younger brother of Sakai Tadazane, lord of Himeji Castle. As the descendant of the Sakai family, who loved literature, he was skilled in painting, haiku, waka, renga, kokugaku (Japanese classical literature), calligraphy, and even Noh and Shimai. At the age of 37, he aspired to become a monk and shaved his head under the monk Bunnyo Shonin at Nishi Honganji Temple in Kyoto, but returned to Edo after only a few days there, and the following year he moved to a hermitage in Senzoku, Asakusa, where he lived in seclusion. It was around this time that he began to use the name Hoichi. He died on November 29, 1828.

He started out by learning the Kano style from Kano Takanobu, then studied the realistic painting style of Shen Nanpin under Song Shiseki, ukiyo-e from Utagawa Toyoharu, and learned the techniques of the Tosa and Maruyama schools, and was also influenced by his friend Tani Buncho. Later, he became deeply fascinated with the work of Ogata Korin, and experimented with his own style, becoming the last of the Rinpa school, a decorative art school in the Edo period. In 1815 (Bunka 12), he held a 100th anniversary of Korin's death, published "Korin 100 Illustrations" and "Ogata Ryuryaku Inpu," and compiled "Kenzan's Calligraphy" in 1823 (Bunsei 6), showing his personal admiration for Korin and Kenzan. He also painted his masterpiece "Summer and Autumn Grasses" (Important Cultural Property, Tokyo National Museum) on the back of Korin's "Wind Gods and Thunder Gods Screen." While imitating the colorful decorativeness of Korin's paintings, he pursued rich lyricism with his delicate and elegant style. He also produced many excellent works of flowers, such as "Kuzuakikusa Screen" (Important Cultural Property, HOYA Corporation), "Flowers and Plants in the Twelve Months" (Imperial Treasure), and "Autumn Grasses and Quail Screen."

[Yasushi Murashige]

"Japanese Art 186: Sakai Hōitsu" edited by Teiji Chizawa (1981, Shibundō)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸後期の画家。名は忠因(ただなお)。通称栄八。姫路城主酒井忠以(ただざね)の弟として江戸に生まれる。文芸を愛好する酒井家の血を継いで、画(え)はもちろん、俳諧(はいかい)、和歌、連歌、国学、書、さらに能、仕舞などの諸芸をたしなんだ。37歳で出家を志し、京都西本願寺の文如上人(ぶんにょしょうにん)のもとに剃髪したが、わずか十数日の滞在で江戸に戻り、翌年浅草千束(せんぞく)の庵(いおり)に移って閑居。抱一号はこのころを契機に用いられている。文政(ぶんせい)11年11月29日没。

　画業は初め狩野高信(かのうたかのぶ)から狩野風を学び、また宋紫石(そうしせき)について沈南蘋(しんなんぴん)の写生画風、歌川豊春(とよはる)から浮世絵、さらに土佐派、円山派などの技法を習得、親交あった谷文晁(ぶんちょう)からも影響を受けるなど、諸派の画風を次々と学んだ。のち尾形光琳(こうりん)の作品に接して深く傾倒し、独自の立場でその作風を試み、江戸時代の装飾芸術の流派「琳派(りんぱ)」の最後を飾った。1815年（文化12）には光琳百年忌を催し、『光琳百図』『尾形流略印譜』を刊行し、また1823年（文政6）にも『乾山(けんざん)遺墨』を編するなど、光琳あるいは乾山に対する私淑ぶりがうかがえる。また光琳筆の『風神雷神図屏風(びょうぶ)』の裏面に自らの最高傑作『夏秋草図』（重要文化財、東京国立博物館）を描き付ける。色彩豊かな光琳画の装飾性に倣いながらも、繊細優美な画風をもって豊かな叙情性を追究している。ほかに『葛秋草(くずあきくさ)図屏風』（重要文化財、HOYA株式会社）、『十二ヶ月草花図』（御物）、『秋草鶉(あきくさうずら)図屏風』など、とくに草花図の優品が多い。

［村重　寧］

『千沢禎治編『日本の美術186　酒井抱一』（1981・至文堂）』

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