Isoda Lake Ryusai

Dates of birth and death unknown. Ukiyo-e artist of the late Edo period. His given name was Masakatsu, commonly known as Shobei, and he lived in Yagenbori, Hirokoji, Ryogokubashi, Edo. He was a ronin of the Tsuchiya family of Ogawamachi, Edo, and is said to have learned painting from Nishimura Shigenaga. During the Meiwa period (1764-1772), when Suzuki Harunobu was at the height of his power, he produced Harunobu-style works under the pen name Haruhiro, and after Harunobu's death during the An'ei period (1772-1781), he developed his own unique style and became a popular artist of beautiful women and genre paintings. He was also known as a master of pillar paintings, and excelled in secret paintings. In his later years, after attaining the rank of Hokkyo, he devoted himself to hand-painted paintings, and one example of his work, "Morning Glories and Children," with a commentary by the tea master Kawakami Fuhaku in 1807 (Bunka 4), is known to have been produced. Representative works of Nishikie include "Eight Views of Famous Birds Sitting on a Patio" (a set of eight medium-sized prints, c. 1774-1775) and "The First Pattern of Hinagata Young Leaves" (a set of eight large-sized prints, c. 1777-1782).

[Tadashi Kobayashi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

生没年不詳。江戸後期の浮世絵師。名を正勝、通称を庄兵衛といい、江戸・両国橋広小路薬研堀(やげんぼり)に居住した。江戸・小川町土屋家の浪人で、絵は西村重長(しげなが)に学ぶと伝える。鈴木春信(はるのぶ)全盛の明和(めいわ)年間（1764～1772）は春広の画名で春信風の作品を発表、春信没後の安永(あんえい)年間（1772～1781）に独自の作風を開花させ、美人風俗画の人気絵師となった。また柱絵の名手として知られ、秘画にも優れた。法橋(ほっきょう)位を得た晩年は肉筆画に専念し、1807年（文化4）に茶人川上不白(ふはく)が賛をした『朝顔に子供』の作例も伝わる。錦絵(にしきえ)の代表作に『名鳥坐鋪(ざしき)八景』（中判八枚揃(ぞろい)、1774～1775ころ）、『雛形(ひながた)若菜の初模様』（大判揃物、1777～1782ころ）などがある。

［小林　忠］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例