Buncho Tani

A Southern Painter of the late Edo period. His given name was Shoan. He was commonly known as Bungoro. His pen name and title were Buncho, and he also went by the names Shazanro and Gagakusai. He was born in Edo to Rokkoku, a vassal of the Tayasu family and a famous poet. He first studied painting under Kato Bunrei of the Kano school, then Watanabe Gentai of the Nagasaki school, and also studied under Suzuki Fuyou. He was taught the methods of Southern painting by Kushirounsen in Osaka, and was further influenced by Kitayama Kangan, who added Western-style painting to Northern School painting, and Watanabe Nankaku of the Maruyama school, and established a family of painters with outstanding technique and a style that fused various schools. He is known for his landscape paintings, such as "Mountains and Waterfalls" (Tokyo National Museum), which are a mix of Northern and Southern styles of painting, and he also produced "True Views of Mt. Hiko" and "True Views of Kodai" as well as "Famous Mountains" based on sketches he made during his travels around Japan, and left behind unique portraits such as "Portrait of Kimura Kenkadō." In 1788 (Tenmei 8), he entered the service of the Tayasu family with his paintings, and in 1792 (Kansei 4), he was recognized by Matsudaira Sadanobu and became his attendant. He accompanied Sadanobu on an inspection of the coastal defenses of Izu and Sagami, and produced "Koyotanshō Zukan," which used the shading and perspective techniques of Western painting, and also drew illustrations following the compilation of "Jushushu." His younger brother Shimada Gentan also served the Tottori Domain as a painter, and his wife Kankan and sister Shuko were also known as painters. He was blessed with talented students such as Watanabe Kazan, Tachihara Kyosho, and Takaku Aigai, and reigned as a leading figure in the Edo art world at the time. The school of painting centered around Buncho has a different style from the Nanga school of painting in the Kansai region and west, and is usually distinguished as Kanto Nanga. His books include "Buncho Gadan" and "Honcho Gasan."

[Hoshino Suzu]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸後期の南画家。名は正安。通称は文五郎。字(あざな)、号ともに文晁といい、別に写山楼(しゃざんろう)、画学斎(ががくさい)などと号した。田安家の家臣で詩人としても著名な麓谷(ろっこく)を父として江戸に生まれた。画(え)は初め狩野(かのう)派の加藤文麗(ぶんれい)に、ついで長崎派の渡辺玄対(げんたい)に学び、鈴木芙蓉(ふよう)にも就いた。大坂で釧雲泉(くしろうんせん)より南画の法を教授され、さらに北宗画に洋風画を加味した北山寒巌(きたやまかんがん)や円山(まるやま)派の渡辺南岳(なんがく)の影響も受けるなど、卓抜した技術で諸派を融合させた画風により一家をなした。なかでも『山水図』（東京国立博物館）のように北宗画を主に南宗画を折衷した山水に特色があり、また各地を旅行した際の写生を基に『彦山(ひこさん)真景図』や『鴻台(こうのだい)真景図』などの真景図や『名山図譜』を制作、『木村蒹葭堂(けんかどう)像』のような異色の肖像画も残している。1788年（天明8）画をもって田安家に仕官し、92年（寛政4）には松平定信(さだのぶ)に認められてその近習(きんじゅ)となり、定信の伊豆・相模(さがみ)の海岸防備の視察に随行して、西洋画の陰影法、遠近法を用いた『公余探勝(こうよたんしょう)図巻』を描き、また『集古十種』の編纂(へんさん)にも従って挿図を描いている。弟の島田元旦(げんたん)も画をもって鳥取藩に仕え、妻の幹々(かんかん)や妹秋香(しゅうこう)も画家として知られている。門人も渡辺崋山(かざん)、立原杏所(たちはらきょうしょ)、高久靄崖(たかくあいがい)らの俊才に恵まれ、当時の江戸画壇の大御所として君臨した。文晁を中心とする画派は関西以西の南画とは画風を異にし、通常、関東南画として区別されている。著書に『文晁画談』『本朝画纂(ほんちょうがさん)』などがある。

［星野　鈴］

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